Hal Alper

Dr. Hal Alper is the Kenneth A. Kobe Professor in Chemical Engineering and Executive Director of the Center for Biomedical Research Support at The University of Texas at Austin. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006 and currently serves as the Principal Investigator of the Laboratory for Cellular and Metabolic Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on applying and extending the approaches of metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and protein engineering to develop sustainable solutions for waste valorization and renewable bioproduction of chemicals, fuels, and nutraceuticals/pharmaceuticals. In recent work, his team has demonstrated the evolution of an enzyme suitable for rapid depolymerization of PET plastic waste. He has published over 150 papers and 8 book chapters. His is a Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors and American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.