Vatsan Raman's laboratory uses a synthetic biology approach to design proteins with new functions and engineer microbes for biosynthesis and bioremediation. One focus is designing proteins that respond to new ligands, with the goal of making novel protein-based small molecule sensors. Raman's lab uses these small molecule sensors, along with high-throughput genome engineering, to engineer microbes to produce valuable molecules such as natural products and biofuels. His group is also interested in studying mechanisms of allosteric regulation at molecular-level resolution using systems biology principles.