Carolyn W.T. Lee-Parsons
Associate Professor,
Chemical Engineering
Associate Professor,
Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Affiliated Faculty,
Bioengineering
Office
- 335 Mugar
- 617.373.3634
Lab
- 132 Mugar
Research Focus
Production of valuable pharmaceutical compounds from plant cell cultures, specifically the production of important anti-cancer drug molecules from cell cultures of Catharanthus roseus
About
Joined the Chemical Engineering Department in Fall 1999.
My main research focus is the production of valuable pharmaceutical compounds from plant cell cultures, specifically the production of important anti-cancer drug molecules from cell cultures of Catharanthus roseus. Plant cell culture is potentially a better route for supplying certain structurally complex drug molecules than chemical synthesis or extraction from whole plants. Moreover, plant cell culture can potentially produce these drug molecules at a faster and more consistent rate than whole plants. The overall vision of my research is to meet the needs and demands of important and cost-prohibitive plant-derived pharmaceuticals using plant cell culture, applying engineering strategies, and ultimately developing an economically viable process using plant cell culture.
Education
- 1995 PhD (Chemical Engineering), Cornell University, Advisor: Prof. Michael L. Shuler
- BS (Chemical Engineering), University of Kansas Summa cum laude
Honors & Awards
- College of Engineering Faculty Fellow, 2022
- University Excellence in Teaching Award, 2019
- Martin W. Essigmann Outstanding Teaching Award, 2013, 2018
- Selected for the Northeastern Research Leadership Development Initiative (ReDI) Program, 2016 – 2017
- National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 2002 – 2007
Research Overview
Production of valuable pharmaceutical compounds from plant cell cultures, specifically the production of important anti-cancer drug molecules from cell cultures of Catharanthus roseus
The Lee-Parsons’ Lab seeks to understand how plant cells regulate the biosynthesis of important molecules and then reprograms this regulatory network to increase production. Towards this goal, we apply methods in molecular biology and analytical chemistry to engineer the production of important compounds from plant cell & tissue cultures. Our team includes chemical engineers, bioengineers, biochemists, molecular biologists, and plant biologists. Our research vision is to meet the need for critical plant-derived pharmaceuticals or an alternative source of biofuels using cultures of plants or microalgae.
Cellular & Metabolic Lab
The Lee-Parsons Team investigates and engineers the production of pharmaceuticals from tissue cultures of plants (www.northeastern.edu/lee-parsons). Our model is the medicinal plant, Catharanthus roseus, the current source of the chemotherapeutic drugs, vinblastine and vincristine. Our strategy for engineering increased production involves: 1) investigating the network of “on- and off-switches” (called transcription factors) that control the biosynthesis of these medicinal compounds, and 2) developing synthetic biology tools towards engineering their increased production. Aspects of our research involve modular cloning, gene expression analysis, metabolite analysis, genetic engineering, cultivation of aseptic tissue cultures, and bioprocess development.
Selected Research Projects
- A Novel CRISPR SynBio Tool for Investigating and Reprogramming the Regulation of Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Production of Chemotherapeutic Drugs from the Periwinkle Plant
- – Principal Investigator, Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center
- Production of Chemotherapeutic Drugs from the Periwinkle Plant
- – Principal Investigator, GapFund360
- Zinc Finger (ZCT) Transcription Factors: Pivotal Regulators of Growth, Development, and Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- A Novel CRISPR SynBio Tool for Investigating and Reprogramming the Regulation of Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- R. Grützner, P. Martin, C. Horn, S. Mortensen, E.J. Cram, C.W.T. Lee-Parsons, J. Stuttmann, S. Marillonnet, High-Efficiency Genome Editing in Plants Mediated by a Cas9 Gene Containing Multiple Introns, Plant Communications, 2(2), 2021, 100135
- S. Mortensen, D. Bernal-Franco, L.F. Cole, S. Sathitloetsakun, E.J. Cram, C.W.T. Lee-Parsons, EASI transformation: An Efficient Transient Expression Method for Analyzing Gene Function in Catharanthus roseus Seedlings, Frontiers in Plant Sciences, 2019
- S. Mortensen, J. Weaver, S. Sathitloetsakun, L.F. Cole, N.F. Rizvi, E.J. Cram, C.W.T. Lee-Parsons, The Regulation of Zct1, a Transcriptional Repressor of Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloid Biosynthetic Genes in Catharanthus roseus, Plant Direct, 3, 2019, 1-13
- L. Kirchner, A. Wirshing, L. Kurt, T. Reinard, J. Glick, E.J. Cram, H-J. Jacobsen, C.W.T. Lee-Parsons Identification, Characterization, and Expression of Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase Type-1 from Chlorella vulgaris, Algal Research, 13, 2016, 167-181
Oct 18, 2022
BioE Students Nominated for Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
Bioengineering students Amanda Dee, E’23, and Conor Messor, E’19, were nominated for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program that prepares graduate students at Stanford University to tackle critical global challenges of the 21st century.
May 18, 2022
Announcing Summer 2022 PEAK Experiences Awardees
Several engineering students and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of Northeastern’s Summer 2022 PEAK Experiences Awards.
Apr 15, 2022
Faculty and Staff Awards 2022
Congratulations to all the winners of the faculty and staff awards, and to everyone for their hard work and dedication during the 2021-2022 academic school year.
Mar 17, 2022
Passion for Research in the Lab and in Industry Leads to Goldwater Scholar Nomination
Amanda Dee, E’23, bioengineering, has always enjoyed learning about the world around her. She participated in FIRST Lego League at the age of 8 and reached out to a professor in her hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts, at 13 years old—an experience that sparked her interest in plant biology. Her passion for hands-on work and STEM […]
Feb 04, 2022
2022 Goldwater Scholarship Nominees
Bioengineering students Amanda Dee, E’23, and Giona Kleinberg, E’23, were nominated for the 2022 Barry Goldwater Scholarship.
Jan 31, 2022
ChE PhD Student Receives ASPB Travel Award
Krystyna K. F. Traverse, PhD’23, chemical engineering, has been awarded a 2022 American Society of Plant Biologist Travel Award to attend the Plant Biology 2022 Worldwide Summit in Portland, OR from July 9-13, 2022. Traverse is advised by ChE/COS Associate Professor Carolyn Lee-Parsons.
Nov 03, 2021
Students Receive Oral Presentation Awards at ASPB Annual Meeting
Students advised by ChE/COS Associate Professor Carolyn Lee-Parsons received awards for their oral presentations at the Northeast American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting. Lauren Cole, PhD’21, BioE: 1st place in the graduate category Krystyna Traverse, PhD’23, ChE: 3rd place in the graduate category Amanda Dee, E’22, BioE: 3rd place in the undergraduate category
Oct 12, 2021
Announcing Fall 2021 PEAK Experiences Awardees
Several engineering students and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of Northeastern’s Fall 2021 PEAK Experiences Awards. The PEAK Experiences Awards are a progressively structured sequence of opportunities designed to support learners as they continue climbing to new heights of achievement in undergraduate research and creative endeavor throughout their Northeastern journeys. ASCENT AWARDS […]
May 13, 2021
BioE Student Wins ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Amanda Dee, E’22, bioengineering, was awarded the 2021 American Society of Plant Biologists Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (ASPB SURF) to pursue her research with ChE/COS Associate Professor Carolyn Lee-Parsons and her graduate mentor, Ms. Krystyna Farrell.
Mar 03, 2021
Investigating the Defense-Related Responses of Plants
ChE/COS Associate Professor Carolyn Lee-Parsons and BioE Affiliated Faculty member Erin Cram were awarded an $800K NSF grant for creating ” A Novel CRISPR SynBio Tool for Investigating and Reprogramming the Regulation of Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus.”