Chris Todd Hittinger is an Associate Professor of Genetics in the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences at the University of WIsconsin-Madison. He studies the diversity and evolution of yeast carbon metabolism, which is controlled by a complex system of interacting genes that respond to different carbon sources and determine the organism’s energy-use strategy. By understanding how evolution has sculpted and rewired yeast gene networks to meet their different ecological needs, Chris hopes to better understand how to engineer complex biological systems to meet our energy needs.