Song, S., Aljedaani, F., Liew, K.X., Mi, J., Salem, M., Bougouffa, S., Overmans, S., Lauersen, K.J., Zheng, X., Al-Babili, S., (2025). Sustainable and secretory production of saffron pigments in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and E. coli. Plant Communications 101388. In Press https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101388

Lezcano, G., Gautam, R., Hita, I., Attada, Y., Aljaziri, J., de Freitas, B.B., Samaras, V.G., Lauersen, K.J., Sarathy, M., Castano, P., (2025). Linking Microalgae Characteristics with Their Fast Pyrolysis Products. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 191, 107170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2025.107170

Perez-Botella, E., Murillo-Acevedo, Y. S., de Freitas, B.B., Lauersen, K.J., Grande, C. A., (2025). Waste Algal Biomass as a Binder for Shaping Technical Adsorbents. ACS Omega 10, 5c00173. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c00173

Overmans, S., Alflayyeh, Y., Gutiérrez, S., Aldlaigan, Y., Lauersen, K.J., (2024). Treatment with Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) elicits secondary metabolite accumulation in Aquilaria crassna (Agarwood) callus culture. Discover Plants 2. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.23.609323

Overmans, S., de Freitas, B.B., Gede, M., Oviedo, C., Szekeley, G., Lauersen, K.J., (2025). Microalgal-mediated circular reuse of polymer membrane manufacturing wastewater. Sustainability Science and Technology. 2, 014002. https://doi.org/10.1088/2977-3504/adb7e9

*Overmans, S., Gallo Jr., A., Mishra, H., Lauersen, K.J., (2025). Sustainable in situ extraction of microalgae-derived terpenoids using functionalized silica microparticles. Separation and Purification Technology. 362, 131837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2025.131837.

*Villegas-Valencia, M., Stark, M. R., Seger, M., Wellman, G. B., Overmans, S., Lammers, P. J., Rader, S. D., & Lauersen, K. J. (2025). A rapid CAT transformation protocol and nuclear transgene expression tools for metabolic engineering in Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D. New Biotechnology. 85, 39-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2024.12.001.

Gutiérrez, S., Overmans, S., Wellman, G.B., Lauersen, K.J., (2025). Compartmentalized Sesquiterpenoid Biosynthesis and Functionalization in the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Plastid. ChemBioChem Accepted Article, e202400902. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202400902

Fuhaid, L. A., Wellman, G. B., Kharbatia, N., Farinha, S. F., Vrouwenvelder, J. S., Verpoorte, R., Choi, H., Witkamp, G. -J., Lauersen, K. J., & Fortunato, L. (2024). Green extraction of pigment from astaxanthin-producing algae using natural deep eutectic solvents. Algal Research, 82, 103668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2024.103668

Jacobebbinghaus, N., Lauersen, K. J., Kruse, O., & Baier, T. (2024). Bicistronic expression of nuclear transgenes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The Plant Journal. 118, 1400-1412. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16677

*Goold, H. D., Moseley, J. L., & Lauersen, K. J. (2024). The synthetic future of algal genomes. Cell Genomics, 100505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100505

*Gutiérrez, S., Overmans, S., Wellman, G. B., Samaras, V. G., Oviedo, C., Gede, M., Szekely, G., & Lauersen, K. J. (2024). A synthetic biology and green bioprocess approach to recreate agarwood sesquiterpenoid mixtures. Green Chemistry, 26(5), 2577–2591. https://doi.org/10.1039/D3GC03708H

Amendola, S., Kneip, J. S., Meyer, F., Perozeni, F., Cazzaniga, S., Lauersen, K. J., Ballottari, M., & Baier, T. (2023). Metabolic Engineering for Efficient Ketocarotenoid Accumulation in the Green Microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. ACS Synthetic Biology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssynbio.2c00616

*de Freitas, B. B., Overmans, S., Medina, J. S., Hong, P.-Y., & Lauersen, K. J. (2023). Biomass generation and heterologous isoprenoid milking from engineered microalgae grown in anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent. Water Research, 229, 119486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.119486

Hirt, H., Al-Babili, S., Almeida-Trapp, M., Antoine, M., Aranda, M., Bartels, D., Bennett, M., Blilou, I., Boer, D., Boulouis, A., Bowler, C., Brunel-Muguet, S., Chardon, F., Colcombet, J., Colot, V., Daszkowska-Golec, A., Dinneny, J. R., Field, B., Froehlich, K., … Young, I. M. (2023). PlantACT! – how to tackle the climate crisis. Trends in Plant Science, 28(5), 537–543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2023.01.005

*Seger, M., Mammadova, F., Villegas-Valencia, M., Bastos De Freitas, B. B., Chang, C., Isachsen, I., Hemstreet, H., Abualsaud, F., Boring, M., Lammers, P. J., & Lauersen, K. J. (2023). Engineered ketocarotenoid biosynthesis in the polyextremophilic red microalga Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D. Metabolic Engineering Communications, 17, e00226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mec.2023.e00226

*Villegas-Valencia, M. V., González-Portela, R. E., de Freitas, B. B., Al Jahdali, A., Romero-Villegas, G. I., Malibari, R., Kapoore, R. V., Fuentes-Grünewald, C., & Lauersen, K. J. (2023). Cultivation of the polyextremophile Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D during summer conditions on the coast of the Red Sea and its adaptation to hypersaline sea water. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14(1157151). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1157151

*Yahya, R. Z., Wellman, G. B., Overmans, S., & Lauersen, K. J. (2023). Engineered production of isoprene from the model green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Metabolic Engineering Communications, 16, e00221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mec.2023.e00221

Yang, C., Cavalcante, J., Bastos de Freitas, B., Lauersen, K. J., & Szekely, G. (2023). Crude algal biomass for the generation of thin-film composite solvent-resistant nanofiltration membranes. Chemical Engineering Journal, 470, 144153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.144153

*Abdallah, M. N., Wellman, G. B., Overmans, S., & Lauersen, K. J. (2022). Combinatorial Engineering Enables Photoautotrophic Growth in High Cell Density Phosphite-Buffered Media to Support Engineered Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Bio-Production Concepts. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13(May), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.885840

*Gutiérrez, S., Wellman, G. B., & Lauersen, K. J. (2022). Teaching an old ‘doc’ new tricks for algal biotechnology: Strategic filter use enables multi-scale fluorescent protein signal detection. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 10, 979607. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2022.979607

Kato, N., McCuiston, C., Szuska, K. A., Lauersen, K. J., Nelson, G., & Strain, A. (2022). Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Alternates Peroxisomal Contents in Response to Trophic Conditions. Cells, 11(17), 2724. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11172724

*Overmans, S., Ignacz, G., Beke, A. K., Xu, J., Saikaly, P. E., Szekely, G., & Lauersen, K. J. (2022). Continuous extraction and concentration of secreted metabolites from engineered microbes using membrane technology. Green Chemistry, 10.1039.D2GC00938B. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2GC00938B

*Overmans, S., & Lauersen, K. J. (2022). Biocompatible fluorocarbon liquid underlays for in situ extraction of isoprenoids from microbial cultures. RSC Advances, 12(26), 16632–16639. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA01112C

Rafique, F., Lauersen, K. J., Chodasiewicz, M., & Figueroa, N. E. (2022). A New Approach to the Study of Plastidial Stress Granules: The Integrated Use of Arabidopsis thaliana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as Model Organisms. Plants, 11(11), 1467. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11111467

Santos Correa, S., Schultz, J., Lauersen, K. J., & Soares Rosado, A. (2022). Natural carbon fixation and advances in synthetic engineering for redesigning and creating new fixation pathways. Journal of Advanced Research, 47, S2090123222001655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2022.07.011

Wichmann, J., Eggert, A., Elbourne, L. D. H., Paulsen, I. T., Lauersen, K. J., & Kruse, O. (2022). Farnesyl pyrophosphate compartmentalization in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii during heterologous (E)-α-bisabolene production. Microbial Cell Factories, 21(1), 190. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-022-01910-5

Ahmed, M. S., Lauersen, K. J., Ikram, S., & Li, C. (2021). Efflux Transporters’ Engineering and Their Application in Microbial Production of Heterologous Metabolites. ACS Synthetic Biology, 10(4), 646–669. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssynbio.0c00507

*Gutiérrez, S., & Lauersen, K. J. (2021). Gene Delivery Technologies with Applications in Microalgal Genetic Engineering. Biology, 10(4), 265. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10040265

*Kato, N., Nelson, G., & Lauersen, K. J. (2021). Subcellular Localizations of Catalase and Exogenously Added Fatty Acid in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Cells, 10(8), 1940. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10081940

Kerselidou, D., Dohai, B. S., Nelson, D. R., Daakour, S., De Cock, N., Hassoun, Z. A. O., Kim, D., Olivet, J., El Assal, D. C., Jaiswal, A., Alzahmi, A., Saha, D., Pain, C., Matthijssens, F., Lemaitre, P., Herfs, M., Chapuis, J., Ghesquiere, B., Vertommen, D., … Twizere, J.-C. (2021). Alternative glycosylation controls endoplasmic reticulum dynamics and tubular extension in mammalian cells. Science Advances, 7(19), eabe8349. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abe8349

Nelson, D. R., Hazzouri, K. M., Lauersen, K. J., Jaiswal, A., Chaiboonchoe, A., Mystikou, A., Fu, W., Daakour, S., Dohai, B., Alzahmi, A., Nobles, D., Hurd, M., Sexton, J., Preston, M. J., Blanchette, J., Lomas, M. W., Amiri, K. M. A., & Salehi-Ashtiani, K. (2021). Large-scale genome sequencing reveals the driving forces of viruses in microalgal evolution. Cell Host & Microbe, 29(2), 250-266.e8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2020.12.005

Tanaka, T., Maeda, Y., Suhaimi, N., Tsuneoka, C., Nonoyama, T., Yoshino, T., Kato, N., & Lauersen, K. J. (2021). Intron-mediated enhancement of transgene expression in the oleaginous diatom Fistulifera solaris towards bisabolene production. Algal Research, 57(April), 102345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2021.102345

Baier, T., Jacobebbinghaus, N., Einhaus, A., Lauersen, K. J., & Kruse, O. (2020). Introns mediate post-transcriptional enhancement of nuclear gene expression in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. PLOS Genetics, 16(7), e1008944. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1008944

Publications before joining KAUST

Perozeni, F., Cazzaniga, S., Baier, T., Zanoni, F., Zoccatelli, G., Lauersen, K. J., Wobbe, L., & Ballottari, M. (2020). Turning a green alga red: Engineering astaxanthin biosynthesis by intragenic pseudogene revival in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 18(10), 2053–2067. doi:10.1111/pbi.13364.

*Durante, L., Hübner, W., Lauersen, K. J., & Remacle, C. (2019). Characterization of the GPR1/FUN34/YaaH protein family in the green microalga Chlamydomonas suggests their role as intracellular membrane acetate channels. Plant Direct, 3(6), e00148. doi:10.1002/pld3.148

*Jaeger, D., Baier, T., & Lauersen, K. J. (2019). Intronserter, an advanced online tool for design of intron containing transgenes. Algal Research, 42, 101588. doi:10.1016/j.algal.2019.101588

*Lauersen, K. J. (2019). Eukaryotic microalgae as hosts for light-driven heterologous isoprenoid production. Planta, 249(1), 155–180. doi:10.1007/s00425-018-3048-x

Baier, T., Kros, D., Feiner, R. C., Lauersen, K. J., Müller, K. M., & Kruse, O. (2018). Engineered Fusion Proteins for Efficient Protein Secretion and Purification of a Human Growth Factor from the Green Microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. ACS Synthetic Biology, 7(11), 2547–2557. doi:10.1021/acssynbio.8b00226

*Baier, T., Wichmann, J., Kruse, O., & Lauersen, K. J. (2018). Intron-containing algal transgenes mediate efficient recombinant gene expression in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Nucleic Acids Research, 46(13), 6909–6919. doi:10.1093/nar/gky532

Crozet, P., Navarro, F. J., Willmund, F., Mehrshahi, P., Bakowski, K., Lauersen, K. J., Pérez-Pérez, M.-E., Auroy, P., Gorchs Rovira, A., Sauret-Gueto, S., Niemeyer, J., Spaniol, B., Theis, J., Trösch, R., Westrich, L.-D., Vavitsas, K., Baier, T., Hübner, W., de Carpentier, F., … Lemaire, S. D. (2018). Birth of a Photosynthetic Chassis: A MoClo Toolkit Enabling Synthetic Biology in the Microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. ACS Synthetic Biology, 7(9), 2074–2086. doi:10.1021/acssynbio.8b00251

Harun, I., Del Rio-Chanona, E. A., Wagner, J. L., Lauersen, K. J., Zhang, D., & Hellgardt, K. (2018). Photocatalytic Production of Bisabolene from Green Microalgae Mutant: Process Analysis and Kinetic Modeling. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 57(31), 10336–10344. doi:10.1021/acs.iecr.8b02509

Henke, N., Wichmann, J., Baier, T., Frohwitter, J., Lauersen, K., Risse, J., Peters-Wendisch, P., Kruse, O., & Wendisch, V. (2018). Patchoulol Production with Metabolically Engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum. Genes, 9(4), 219. doi:10.3390/genes9040219

Lauersen, K. J., Wichmann, J., Baier, T., Kampranis, S. C., Pateraki, I., Møller, B. L., & Kruse, O. (2018). Phototrophic production of heterologous diterpenoids and a hydroxy-functionalized derivative from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Metabolic Engineering, 49, 116–127. doi:10.1016/j.ymben.2018.07.005

Wichmann, J., Baier, T., Wentnagel, E., Lauersen, K. J., & Kruse, O. (2018). Tailored carbon partitioning for phototrophic production of (E)-α-bisabolene from the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Metabolic Engineering, 45, 211–222. doi:10.1016/j.ymben.2017.12.010

Lauersen, K. J., Baier, T., Wichmann, J., Wördenweber, R., Mussgnug, J. H., Hübner, W., Huser, T., & Kruse, O. (2016). Efficient phototrophic production of a high-value sesquiterpenoid from the eukaryotic microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Metabolic Engineering, 38, 331–343. doi:10.1016/j.ymben.2016.07.013

Lauersen, K. J., Willamme, R., Coosemans, N., Joris, M., Kruse, O., & Remacle, C. (2016). Peroxisomal microbodies are at the crossroads of acetate assimilation in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Algal Research, 16, 266–274. doi:10.1016/j.algal.2016.03.026

Lauersen, K. J., Huber, I., Wichmann, J., Baier, T., Leiter, A., Gaukel, V., Kartushin, V., Rattenholl, A., Steinweg, C., von Riesen, L., Posten, C., Gudermann, F., Lütkemeyer, D., Mussgnug, J. H. J. H., & Kruse, O. (2015). Investigating the dynamics of recombinant protein secretion from a microalgal host. Journal of Biotechnology, 215, 62–71. doi:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2015.05.001

Lauersen, K. J., Kruse, O., & Mussgnug, J. H. (2015). Targeted expression of nuclear transgenes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with a versatile, modular vector toolkit. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 99(8), 3491–3503. doi:10.1007/s00253-014-6354-7

Bogen, C., Al-Dilaimi, A., Albersmeier, A., Wichmann, J., Grundmann, M., Rupp, O., Lauersen, K. J., Blifernez-Klassen, O., Kalinowski, J., Goesmann, A., Mussgnug, J. H., & Kruse, O. (2013). Reconstruction of the lipid metabolism for the microalga Monoraphidium neglectum from its genome sequence reveals characteristics suitable for biofuel production. BMC Genomics, 14(1), 926. doi:10.1186/1471-2164-14-926

Lauersen, K. J., Berger, H., Mussgnug, J. H., & Kruse, O. (2013). Efficient recombinant protein production and secretion from nuclear transgenes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Journal of Biotechnology, 167(2), 101–110. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2012.10.010

Lauersen, K. J., Vanderveer, T. L., Berger, H., Kaluza, I., Mussgnug, J. H., Walker, V. K., & Kruse, O. (2013). Ice recrystallization inhibition mediated by a nuclear-expressed and -secreted recombinant ice-binding protein in the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 97(22), 9763–9772. doi:10.1007/s00253-013-5226-x

Lauersen, K. J., Brown, A., Middleton, A., Davies, P. L., & Walker, V. K. (2011). Expression and characterization of an antifreeze protein from the perennial rye grass, Lolium perenne. Cryobiology, 62(3), 194–201. doi:10.1016/j.cryobiol.2011.03.003

2023-present – Sigma Xi, full member at large.

2022-present – American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), member.

2022-present – Royal Society of Biology UK, member.

Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE)

Bioengineering program