Plesa Receives Tenure, Promoted to Associate Professor of Bioengineering

Calin Plesa, Ph.D., was recently promoted to associate professor with indefinite tenure in the Department of Bioengineering. Plesa joined the Knight Campus in June 2019 and has since built a research program that is reshaping how scientists design and test genetic sequences at scale.

Plesa's work focuses on large-scale gene synthesis, spanning genomics, synthetic biology and protein engineering. His lab finds new ways to efficiently build and test thousands of genetic sequences. Prior to his time at the Knight Campus, Plesa developed DropSynth, a method that enables the generation of large genetic libraries that can allow the functional testing of sequences at a fraction of traditional costs. 

Plesa has also translated his research into real-world impact by co-founding SynPlexity, a startup commercializing the DropSynth technology, and based out of the Papé Family Innovation Center in Knight Campus Building 1.

Beyond the lab, Plesa has been recognized as an exceptional mentor and educator. He was named the Clark Honors College Outstanding Senior Thesis Advisor for 2023–24, and has had several graduate, postdoctoral scholars and undergraduate students complete research in his lab.

"Calin's promotion to tenure recognizes his exceptional accomplishments as a scientist, educator, and colleague, as well as the broad impact of his work on the field of bioengineering," said Danielle Benoit, Lorry Lokey Chair of the Department of Bioengineering. "Through the development of pioneering technologies such as DropSynth and his innovative approaches to large-scale gene synthesis, Calin has created powerful tools that are accelerating discovery both at the University of Oregon and across the global research community. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved milestone and look forward to the continued advances and