Ryan Senger

Courses Taught Last Five Years

• Instructor; Thermodynamics of Biological Systems (BSE 3154), 2020-24
• Engineering Mathematics (BSE/CHE/BEAM 5044), 2020, 2022, 2024
• Biological Processing Plant Design (BSE 4524), 2023
• Metabolic Engineering (BSE 4564/5564), 2020-23, 2025
• Bio-Raman Chemometrics (BSE 5984), 2024

I am interested in developing new bio-based technologies that (i) yield valuable and sustainable chemicals/fuels/pharmaceuticals; (ii) indicate the presence of disease from low-cost real-time analyses of bodily fluids (e.g., urine); and (iii) provide secure containment of synthetic biology.

Current projects:

• First, we are re-routing the bioelectrical system in microbes and plants to provide electrons (redox and energy) for the synthesis of targeted compounds. In one application, we have built a “cell-free” photosynthesis platform that utilizes light photons to produce electrons that drive enzyme-catalyzed reactions. In another application, we have discovered how to harness electrons from food/agricultural wastes, enabling a new form of biological recycling.
• Next, with Raman spectroscopy, we monitor human/animal urine and have discovered spectroscopic “fingerprints” of several diseases, including: chronic kidney disease, bladder cancer, Lyme disease, COVID-19 (including Long COVID), lupus, osteosarcoma, several canine cancers, and more. We also apply Raman spectroscopy to microbial cells to monitor the production of target chemicals or the induction of pathogenicity. We do this through chemometric modeling of the Raman signal and write our own artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) models and software.
• In new research, we are interested in being able to contain/destroy DNA/RNA synthesized for synthetic biology applications. This is to prevent environmental contamination with synthetic genetic materials.
• Finally, we continue our long-standing work on genome-scale metabolic modeling to understand how cells respond to their environment and how they can be engineered to produce valuable products and/or degrade environmental toxins.

Author Notation: C Corresponding author, G Graduate student in Senger lab, U Undergraduate researcher in Senger lab, P Postdoctoral researcher in Senger lab, R Professional scientist/engineer in Senger lab, M Medical student/resident advised by Senger, S Denotes co-Senior author

Reviewed Journal Publications

• Robertson, J.L., Sayed Issa, A., NgoU, L., Fields, D., Vickers, E., Ruger, L., Tuohy, J., Dervisis, N., Vlaisavljevich, E., Senger, R.S. (2024) Proof-of-concept: Detection of canine osteosarcoma using Rametrix Molecular Urinalysis (RMU). Frontiers in Veterinary Sciences. In Press.
• Seifollahi AslG, Sayed IssaG, A., Robertson, J.L., SengerC, R.S. (2024) Pathogen detection using Raman spectroscopy and SERS. In: Applied Raman Spectroscopy: Instrumentation, Chemometrics, and Life Science Applications. Ed: Vivek Singh. Elsevier. In Press.
• SengerC, R.S., FlickG, H., Robertson, J.L. (2024) Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics: A potential method for life sciences applications. In: Applied Raman Spectroscopy: Instrumentation, Chemometrics, and Life Science Applications. Ed: Vivek Singh. Elsevier. In Press.
• RobertsonC, J.R., Sayed-IssaG, A., Senger, R.S. (2024) Raman spectroscopy for detection and management of diseases affecting the nervous system. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 11:1468326. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1468326
• RobertsonC, J.L., Dervisis, N., Rossmeisl, J., Nightingale, M., Fields, D., Dedrick, C., Ngo, L., Sayed-IssaR, A., Guruli, G., Orlando, G., SengerC, R.S. (2024) Cancer detection in dogs using rapid Raman molecular urinalysis. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 7:e1328059. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1328058
• Robertson, J.L., IssaR, A.S., Gomez, M., Sullivan, K., SengerC, R.S. (2023). Profiling renal dysfunction using Raman chemometric urinalysis, with special reference to COVID19, lupus nephritis, and diabetic nephropathy. Medical Research Archives. 11(9)e4384. https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v11i9.4384
• Rossi, A., Asthana, A., Riganti, C., Sedrakyan, S., Byers, J.N., Robertson, J.L., Senger, R.S., Montali, F., Grange, C., Dalmasso, A., Porporato, P.E., Palles, C., Thornton, M.E., Da Sacco, S., Perin, L., Ahn, B., McCully, J., OrlandoC, G., Bussolati, B. (2023) Mitochondria transplantation mitigates damage in an in vitro model of renal tubular injury and in an ex vivo model of DCD renal transplantation. Annals of Surgery. 278(6)e1313-e1326. https://doi.org/10.1097/SLA.0000000000006005
• FreedmanG, B.G., LeeU, P.W., SengerC, R.S. (2023) Engineering the metabolic profile of Clostridium cellulolyticum with genomic DNA libraries. Fermentation. 9(7), 605. http://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9070605
• KavuruM, V., Senger, R.S., Robertson, J.L., ChoudhuryC, D. (2023) Analysis of urine Raman spectra differences from patients with diabetes mellitus and renal pathologies. PeerJ. 11, e14879. http://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14879
• TannicheG, I., Nazem-BokaeeG, H., ScherrG, D., SchlemmerU, S., SengerC, R.S. (2023) A novel synthetic sRNA promoting protein overexpression in cell-free systems. Biotechnology Progress e3324. https://doi.org/10.1002/btpr.3324
• TannicheG, I., FisherG, A.K., Gillam, F., Colla’kova’, E., Zhang, C., Bevan, D.R., SengerC, R.S. (2022) Lambda-PCR for precise DNA assembly and modification. Biotechnology & Bioengineering. 119(12):3657-3657. https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.28240

Oral Presentations at Conferences

• Senger, R.S. (October 2024) New high-throughput liquid screening devices based on Raman spectroscopy. SciX Annual Meeting. Raleigh, NC
• Senger, R.S. (October 2024) Electron harvesting from photosynthetically active algal extracts and waste biomass. Virginia Tech Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture. Blacksburg, VA
• Senger, R.S. (March 2024) Innovations of Rametrix Technologies, Inc. (RTI). American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting and Exposition. New Orleans, LA
• Senger, R.S. (March 2024) New Raman spectroscopy devices and spectral data analytics for urine-based disease detection. American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting and Exposition. New Orleans, LA
• Senger, R.S. (January 2024) Raman spectroscopy and its role in phenotyping and drug discovery. Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery
• Senger, R.S., Gronber, A., Peters, M., Sharma, V., Love, C., Rodriguez, E. (August 2023) Panel on Sustainability in Bioprocessing. American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting and Exposition. San Francisco, CA (live panel discussion)

Selected Recent Funding

• “Screening veterans for chronic kidney disease,” Project in collaboration with the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Salem, VA.
• “Redefining the management of renal disease through Chemometric Fingerprinting of urine and dialysate,” Commercial project.
• “Multi-scale metabolic modeling and engineering workshop,” NSF CBET
• “Microbial protein substitutions in aquaculture diets: Phase II+: Bacterial strain characterization, application, and validation,” Commercial project.
• “Microbial protein substitutions in aquaculture diets: Phase I bacteria strain selection,” Commercial project.
• “Dialysensing: Improving the efficacy and patient outcomes of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis through the use of Raman spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis” Commercial project.
• “Production of the building block 2-pyrrolidone using a model-guided platform for de novo biosynthetic pathway integration,” NSF CBET BBBE Program, Award NSF1254242, $398,394, 2013-2016.
• “Enabling phenotype predictions of cyanobacteria,” NSF MCB Networks and Regulation Program, Award: NSF1243988, $621,182, 2013-2016.