Anna Duraj-Thatte

Anna Duraj-Thatte is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech, where she has been since 2021. She is also a co-founder of Tantu Therapeutics Inc. in Boston, MA, and a Research Affiliate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 2020. Her earlier experience includes postdoctoral research at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University (2013-2020).

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012
  • M.S. in Molecular and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Gdansk University of Technology, 2006
  • B.S. in Molecular and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Gdansk University of Technology, 2006

Research Focus: Dr. Duraj-Thatte leads the SMART Living Materials Laboratory, pioneering research in Engineered Living Materials that combine synthetic biology, bioengineering, nanotechnology, and sustainability to create Self-regenerative, Multifunctional, Adaptive, Responsive, and Therapeutic (SMART) living materials. Her work aims to harness microbes as factories for sustainable, large-scale production of materials with applications in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental industries.

Article Trends: Her publications emphasize synthetic biology-driven material design, microbial ink bioprinting, self-regenerative hydrogels, and gut microbiome engineering. Recurring themes include biodegradable polymers, protein engineering, and scalable manufacturing, reflecting her commitment to sustainability and clinical translation.

Scientific Awards:

• Grand Prize Winner, NSF Idea Machine Competition (2020)
• Semifinalist, Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge (2020)
• Deep Tech Pioneer, Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge (2020)

Grants & Collaborations: As co-founder of Tantu Therapeutics, she drives commercialization of engineered living materials. Her affiliations with MIT and Harvard highlight interdisciplinary collaborations in bioengineering and therapeutics.