Sheldon J. Park

Sheldon J. Park is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University at Buffalo, serving as Director of Graduate Studies. He holds a PhD from Harvard University (2000) in Biophysics, an MS from MIT (1994) in Physics, and a BS from UC Berkeley (1991) in Physics and Mathematics. His research focuses on engineering proteins with novel molecular properties using computational and experimental methods such as rational design, directed evolution, and yeast surface display. Key projects include the development of monomeric streptavidin for biomedical imaging, fibronectin-derived monobodies for Erk-2 signaling inhibition, and therapeutic antibody engineering. He has been awarded an NSF CAREER grant and edited the book Protein Engineering and Design. His lab collaborates widely, with plasmids deposited at Addgene and patents filed. Teaching responsibilities include courses like Protein Engineering (CE 420/520) and Bioengineering Principles (CE 517).

• Education:
  • PhD in Biophysics, Harvard University, 2000
  • MS in Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1994
  • BS in Physics and Math, University of California, Berkeley, 1991
• Research Interests: Protein engineering, yeast surface display, bioinformatics, molecular dynamics simulations, therapeutic protein design, and antibody engineering. The lab applies these techniques to develop novel reagents for biotechnology, research, and medicine. Current projects include monomeric streptavidin systems, fibronectin monobodies targeting Erk-2 kinase, and pH-dependent antibody recycling strategies.
• Publications: Recent work emphasizes advancements in streptavidin engineering, antibody detection systems, and protein stability optimization. These studies highlight cross-disciplinary approaches combining computational modeling with experimental validation.
• Scientific Awards:
  • NSF CAREER Award
  • Co-editor of Protein Engineering and Design (CRC Press, 2009)
• Advising & Grants: Advises PhD candidates and master's students in protein engineering and biochemistry. His lab's research is supported by NSF grants and patents, including a pending patent on monomeric streptavidin compositions (Application no. PCT/US10/32542).
• Labs & Teams: Leads the Park Research Group, which collaborates with Addgene for plasmid distribution and focuses on protein-based reagents. The lab's work has been featured in Nature Communications, eLife, and Biotechnology Bioeng.