Inventor Profiles

Research area Research in the Handelsman lab applies metagenomics, genetics and small molecule chemistry to study biochemistry and genetic regulation of antibiotic production; microbial diversity; antibiotic resistance; and symbioses in communities in soil, on plant roots and in the human gut. The research group developed a three-species model community to study the nature of community robustness, invasion processes and emergent properties of microbial communities, named THOR for “The Hitchhikers of the Rhizosphere.” The Handelsman lab also houses the Tiny Earth Chemistry Hub, a research center focused on expanding the work of the worldwide network of college students, Tiny Earth, to discover novel antibiotic compounds from soil bacteria.

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What excites you about your work? 

“This is such an exciting time to do biology because the methods we have today facilitate answering questions we have wondered about for years. Without the right tools, understanding how microbes function as members of communities was out of reach. Not anymore!”

What do you hope to achieve? 

“By using the community as the unit of study, we hope to elucidate the rules of community behavior, which will enable technologies for altering communities that are important for agricultural productivity and human health.”

Few researchers bridge fundamental science and applied innovation as seamlessly as Prof. Handelsman. Her work consistently yields ideas that are not only publishable but patentable. From a patent strategy standpoint, Handelsman’s research is a goldmine—her insights into soil microbiomes and antibiotic resistance offer clear pathways to novel compounds and methods with strong commercial viability. It was no surprise when one of her projects was selected as part of our Plant Sciences Challenge grant program, supported jointly by WARF and Bayer.

– Michael Falk, Chief Intellectual Property and Licensing Officer