Baker Lab - UNSW Sydney

We study complex systems and their origins, working among microbiology, biophysics, synthetic biology and evolutionary biology. Roughly half of us work, at the moment, on the bacterial flagellar motor. We use this as a model molecular complex to explore protein engineering, directed and experimental evolution, and to understand better how bacterial swimming has evolved and how we can push it to do new things.

Roughly the other half of us work on ‘bottom-up’ synthetic biology where we try to use insights gleaned from understanding an ancient molecular complex (the motor) to build new nanotechnologies out of simple lipid and DNA components to see how we can increase the complexity step-by-step to create new tools in biosensing and light-activation.

We welcome applications to join our group and have spaces for PhD applicants and postdocs where suitable. Please contact Matt if you are interested in joining or collaborating.

Principal investigator

Matt Baker

Associate Professor and Principal Investigator

Matt leads the Baker Lab at the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences (BABS) at UNSW. He completed an Hons in Chemistry at ANU and a DPhil in Physics at the University of Oxford, studying the molecular motor that makes many bacteria swim. He started the group in 2018 as a Scientia Fellow and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2023. See his UNSW biography or linktree.

Postdoctoral researchers

Pietro Ridone

Postdoctoral researcher

Pietro applies genome editing and synthetic biology to study the stator proteins that power bacterial flagellar rotation, including engineering E. coli and designing artificial stators.

Jacob Scadden

Postdoctoral researcher

Jacob’s current postdoctoral research focuses on ancestral sequence reconstruction of flagellar filament proteins and their effects on bacterial motility.

PhD students

Janelle Ramos

PhD student

Janelle completed Honours in 2021 on ancestral reconstructions of the rotor and is researching urinary pathogenic E. coli to examine sequence-based diagnostics in catheter-associated infections.

Jamiema Sara Philip

PhD student

Jamiema’s research background includes bacterial diversity, antibiotic resistance, metagenomics and SARS-CoV-2 genome analysis.

Yara Elahi

PhD student

Fatemeh Mohaghegh

PhD student

Fatemeh’s research interests include bacterial motility, bacterial biofilms and antibiotic resistance.

Sahiba Shah

PhD student

Oliver Taig

PhD student

Divyangi Pandit

PhD student

Completed Honours in the Baker Lab in 2023.

Daniel Zhang

PhD student

Honours & undergraduate students

Alumni

The Baker Lab studies the evolution, engineering and application of molecular machines, alongside bottom-up synthetic cells. We welcome motivated prospective PhD students; see the UNSW key dates and application process.

Ancestral Reconstruction of the Bacterial Flagellar Rotor

We recreate microbial “Jurassic Parks” by resurrecting ancient flagellar motor componentry in contemporary hosts and measuring how well it works.

This lets us create ancient motors, synthesise and evolve new motors, and learn about evolutionary processes. We have examined reconstructions of the stators that power the motor and now seek to understand how the rotor evolved and how it can be engineered for new applications.

Origins of Motility

We investigate how evolution produces a complex system such as the bacterial flagellum.

Updated phylogenetic analyses use newer datasets and improved models alongside experimental evolution. Projects can involve planning and conducting phylogenetic analyses, then using synthetic biology to recreate ancestors in a contemporary microbial “Jurassic Park”.

Programming Synthetic Cells with DNA Origami

We build artificial bilayer systems for interrogating membrane proteins and adding biological functions to droplets.

DNA nanotechnology programmes liposome assembly and communication across membranes, with the goal of creating light-sensitive liposomes that perform defined functions on demand.

Microfluidics and Liposomes

We use microfluidics to separate flagellar motors, build high-throughput selection systems and generate liposomes.

We are investigating whether flagellar motors can drive fluid motion. Projects can involve designing and building devices that apply the flagellar motor to other systems, and suit people interested in DIY or maker culture, prototyping and device development.

Utilising Flagellar Filaments in Biotechnology

We use knowledge of the bacterial flagellar motor to add new functions.

One direction is using the flagellar filament as a scaffold for fluorescent and enzymatic proteins while maintaining motility. Projects can optimise attachment of cargo such as nanoscale beads and purified exogenous proteins.

Optogenetics

We want to control flagellar motion with light to create light-steerable bacteria.

Existing approaches can act indirectly by manipulating motor fuel; we seek faster control by directly shutting down and re-enabling the motor using light-responsive protein domains and strategic protein engineering.

Biofilms and Bacillus

We study biofilms and the genes that trigger biofilm formation, including work in Bacillus.

We are interested in the transition from motility towards biofilm formation, and in how microbial communities and quorum sensing regulate this switch.

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

Earlier and other collaborative publications can be viewed on Matt’s Google Scholar profile.