Janna Blum
Associate Professor Physical Sciences- Education
B.S., Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, May 2001
M.S., Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Dec 2008
Ph.D., Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, May 2011
- Specializations
Research specialist in the characterization and development of novel biocatalysts for the synthesis of beta-lactam antibiotics.
Developed rational protein engineering methods to improve enzyme properties such as increased thermostability.
Industrial scale manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), vaccines, and monoclonal therapeutics.
- Biography
- Recognitions and Awards
2009-2010 Senator of the Year
Finalist for BP/CETL Georgia Tech Outstanding TA
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
GT Chemical Engineering Outstanding Teaching Assistant
Georgia Tech Presidents Fellowship
Merck Award for Excellence (4 awards)
- Committees and Organizations
PC Chemistry Curriculum Committee
American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AICHE)
Alpha Chi Sigma (ΑΧΣ) – Professional Chemistry Society
American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS)
- Publications
Blum, J. K., Deaguero, A. L., Perez, C. V., & Bommarius, A. S. (2010). Ampicillin Synthesis Using a Two‐Enzyme Cascade with Both α‐Amino Ester Hydrolase and Penicillin G Acylase. ChemCatChem, 2(8), 987-991.
Blum, J. K., Ricketts, M. D., & Bommarius, A. S. (2012). Improved thermostability of AEH by combining B-FIT analysis and structure-guided consensus method. Journal of biotechnology, 160(3), 214-221.
Blum, J. K., & Bommarius, A. S. (2010). Amino ester hydrolase from Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, ATCC 33913 for enzymatic synthesis of ampicillin. Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic, 67(1), 21-28.
Bommarius, A. S., Blum, J. K., & Abrahamson, M. J. (2011). Status of protein engineering for biocatalysts: how to design an industrially useful biocatalyst. Current opinion in chemical biology, 15(2), 194-200.
Deaguero, A. L., Blum, J. K., & Bommarius, A. S. (2010). Biocatalytic Synthesis of β‐lactam Antibiotics. Encyclopedia of Industrial Biotechnology.