Mohamed S. Donia

Mohamed S. Donia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, where he leads the Donia Lab. His research focuses on small-molecule-mediated interactions within complex microbial communities and between microbes and their hosts, spanning human microbiome and marine symbiosis systems.

• B.Sc., Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Egypt
• Ph.D., Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah
• Postdoctoral Training, University of California, San Francisco

Dr. Donia’s research lies at the intersection of microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and computational biology. His lab investigates how small molecules mediate microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions, particularly in the human gut and marine invertebrates. A key focus is on the role of the microbiome in drug metabolism and the discovery of novel bioactive compounds from uncultivable microbes using metagenomics and multi-omics approaches.

The recent publications of the Donia Lab reveal a strong trend in microbiome-derived small molecule discovery, host-microbe interactions, and drug metabolism. The work spans human microbiome drug interactions, marine symbiotic chemistry, computational mining of biosynthetic gene clusters, and ecological modeling of microbial systems. These studies frequently appear in top-tier journals such as Cell, Science, and Nature, reflecting the high impact of the research.

Scientific honors include:

• NIH Director’s New Innovator Award
• Kenneth Rainin Foundation Breakthrough Award
• Kenneth Rainin Foundation Innovation Award
• Pew Biomedical Scholar

Dr. Donia actively mentors a diverse group of postdoctoral researchers, graduate students (including MD/PhD candidates), and undergraduates. His lab has received research funding from NIH and other agencies, enabling high-throughput, interdisciplinary studies. He is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Deepbiome Therapeutics, indicating translational applications of his work.

The Donia Lab operates as an interdisciplinary research team integrating experimental and computational methods. It maintains strong collaborations and develops tools like MetaBGC for metagenomic analysis of biosynthetic gene clusters. The lab culture emphasizes diversity, innovation, and scientific rigor, as reflected in its outreach and team composition.