Bio

Blake Rasor joined the faculty of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in fall 2025 as a part of the new biomanufacturing-focused cluster. His research combines systems and synthetic biology approaches to engineer biocatalysis platforms. The goal is to convert light and carbon dioxide into sustainable chemicals ranging from fuels to pharmaceuticals, harnessing biology to utilize these abundant natural resources while minimizing environmental impacts. 

Blake received a B.S. in biology & microbiology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Then he earned a Ph.D. in chemical & biological engineering from Northwestern University, working with Prof. Mike Jewett to study and engineer metabolism in cell-free systems. Before joining NC State, Blake was an EMBO postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, where he worked with Prof. Tobias Erb to study photosynthesis using components from algae and cyanobacteria.

Education and Training

• Postdoc — MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology, Biochemistry & Synthetic Metabolism (2025)
• Ph.D. — Northwestern University, Chemical & Biological Engineering (2023)
• B.S. — Miami University, Biology & Microbiology (2017)

Awards and Honors

• European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Schmidt Science Fellows Finalist
• Distinguished Graduate Researcher Award in Chemical & Biological Engineering
• Brady Fellowship in Ethics and Civic Life
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
• Orton K. Stark Award 
• Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
• Beckman Scholarship