I am thrilled to share that I will be joining Department of Biological Systems Engineering @bse_vt at Virginia Tech @virginia_tech as an Assistant Professor in this Fall! In my lab we will strive to push the boundaries of Living Materials to new realms of Health & Environment!

Are you working on or interested in the latest developments in #EngineeredLivingMaterials?
If so, don't miss this opportunity to share your research during our dedicated 4-day symposium at 2025 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in Boston!
📝 Abstract Submission is NOW OPEN!

Are you working or interested in knowing the latest developments in #EngineeredLivingMaterials #SyntheticBiology #Biohybrids #TherapeuticLivingMaterials ?
Share your research and engage with the experts during the Symposium at the 2025 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit!

I am honored to have been named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors @AcadofInventors! It is a privilege to be among such a distinguished group of innovators!
@virginia_tech @VTCals @bse_vt

news.vt.edu/content/news_v…

It was a great pleasure to host Prof. Fuzhong Zhang @FZhangLab at Virginia Tech, listen to his talk at the Virginia Tech Life Sciences Seminar, and discuss protein-based materials with him.
@bse_vt @FralinBiomed

Engineered cells are finding their way into agriculture, living materials, consumer products and medicines. How do we design these cells and adapt regulatory rules to facilitate their safe and efficient use? #synbio #biotech rdcu.be/d8xLG

Proud to introduce Dr. @HodaMYoussef who successfully defended her PhD dissertation today! Hoda is the first PhD graduate from my group. Her research focused on expanding the landscape of #EngineeredLivingMaterials and will certainly impact this field! @bse_vt @VTEngineering

Our invited review on 3D printing of microbial inks is out now in Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews.
Here we provide an overview of this emerging field of microbial inks, their compositions, characteristics & biomedical applications.
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

@M_B_Avinash @bse_vt

Happy to be a part of this MECHS Project!
Important publication with Intriguing Properties!
A sustainable bioplastic with paper-like characteristics! #EngineeredLivingMaterials

I had a great time discussing functional amyloids and presenting my work on #EngineeredLivingMaterials at Vrije Universiteit Brussel @VUBrussel

Thanks, @RemautHan, for hosting me!

#VirginiaTech ranked sixth among all U.S. public schools and first among all Virginia schools in the 2025 Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranking of the U.S. Colleges. 🙌
brnw.ch/21wMsFF

Is that the Top 10 we see? 👀
The BSE graduate program has been ranked #10 nationally according to U.S. News & World Report! Read more about Virginia Tech graduate engineering rankings at tinyurl.com/uau7ejmt

It’s the first thesis defense from the Duraj Lab! Elated to see my colleagues appreciating Anna Kurowski for her fantastic work and top-notch presentation on the novel #Therapeutic #EngineeredLivingMaterials
Congratulations Anna!
Publication coming soon
@bse_vt @virginia_tech

A microbial process for the production of benzyl acetate | Nature Chemical Engineering nature.com/articles/s4428…

Pleased to share my latest work MECHS - novel #EngineeredLivingMaterials that integrates the properties of #Plastic (Stretchability) & #Paper (Flushability, Compostability & Ambient Fabrication)

#Sustainability #Biomanufacturing
@AnnaDuraj @jeloshine

biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

Protein design meets biosecurity | Science science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…

How profs spend their time

Penn Demoted Her. Then She Won the Nobel Prize. chronicle.com/article/penn-d…

SMARTLivingMaterials Lab is 2 years old! Celebrating the beginning of the academic year and receiving the first funding for the next 4 years! Exciting times ahead!
#newPI @bse_vt

Bacteria in our BRAINS??

Surprisingly, we observe translocation of gut bacteria to the brain via the vagus nerve. This occurs in mice fed a high fat diet, or without dietary changes in mouse models of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and autism. 🧵

biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

Women scientists are less likely than men to submit papers to high-impact journals cen.acs.org/policy/publish…