Krishna Manoj

Krishna Manoj is a graduate student in mechanical engineering advancing the quantitative understanding and design of CRISPR-based gene regulatory networks. Her research focuses on modeling molecular interactions using systems of nonlinear differential equations to uncover the fundamental mechanisms that govern CRISPR-mediated regulation. As a MathWorks Fellow, Krishna will design and implement biomolecular feedback controllers to mitigate resource competition and restore modularity in synthetic genetic circuits. She uses MATLAB to simulate complex regulatory dynamics, analyze experimental datasets, and identify key sensitivities across large parameter spaces. MATLAB’s Control System Toolbox and Simulink are central to her controller design workflow, enabling both linear analysis and full nonlinear system simulations. She also applies optimization and statistical tools for parameter estimation and model validation. Krishna’s work could redefine how synthetic biologists engineer scalable genetic programs for applications in screening, bioproduction, and cell-based therapies, bridging control theory and biology to deliver predictive, robust, and tunable systems.