Avinash Manjula-Basavanna

Avinash Manjula-Basavanna is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Bioengineering at Northeastern University and a Visiting Scientist at Virginia Tech's Department of Biological Systems Engineering. His research focuses on Engineered Living Materials, merging synthetic biology, materials engineering, and sustainability to create self-regenerative, biodegradable, and scalable materials. He holds a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (India) and completed postdoctoral work at Harvard and MIT.

Key achievements include pioneering contributions to engineered living materials, highlighted by awards such as the MIT TR35 Innovator Under 35, NSF Idea Machine Grand Prize, and recognition in New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine. His work emphasizes bio-based solutions for environmental sustainability, including AquaPlastic and self-healing microbial inks for 3D printing.

Media highlights include coverage of his living materials for construction applications and microbial ink technologies. He actively collaborates through programs like the Innovation Scholars In-Residence and MIT Engine’s Blueprint for Tough Tech Founders.