Lorenzo Di Michele

Lorenzo Di Michele is a Professor of Bionanoscience at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge. He leads a research group focused on nucleic acid nanotechnology and synthetic cell engineering, applying these tools to create biomimetic systems with applications in biomedicine and fundamental biophysics.

Lorenzo completed his PhD in soft condensed matter physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, after earning his undergraduate and master’s degrees in physics from the University of L'Aquila (Italy). His academic career includes prestigious fellowships:

• Oppenheimer Early Career Research Fellowship (2013-2016)
• Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship (2016-2018)
• Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2018-present)

Research interests center on DNA and RNA nanotechnology for synthetic cell engineering, designer condensates, and membrane biophysics. The group develops

• Amphiphilic DNA/RNA nanostructures
• Programmable biomolecular condensates
• Responsive membrane systems
• Self-assembled biophysical models
• Non-equilibrium nanoscale systems

Scientific achievements include:

• ERC Starting Grant (2024)
• Breakthrough publications in Nature Nanotechnology, Journal of the American Chemical Society, and Nature Communications
• Innovations in DNA-PAINT imaging techniques

The lab trains a diverse team of 12 current PhD students and has mentored 8 former postdoctoral researchers and 5 PhD graduates. Funding sources include the Royal Society, European Research Council, and BBSRC.