Stefano Menegatti

Stefano Menegatti is an Associate Professor and University Faculty Scholar in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University (NC State). His research focuses on developing peptide-based technologies for biopharmaceutical purification, drug delivery systems, and advanced biomaterials. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from NC State (2013), and M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees from the Università di Bologna (Italy).

Menegatti’s work emphasizes stimuli-responsive peptide ligands for purifying labile biologics like stem cells and therapeutic proteins, as well as hydrogel systems for controlled drug release. His lab also develops transdermal delivery platforms for vaccines and explores biodegradable polymers for medical devices. He leads the Ligand Design & Biomanufacturing Group within the College of Engineering.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, NC State (2013)
  • M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Università di Bologna (2008)
  • B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Università di Bologna (2006)

His research interests span biomanufacturing, viral vector purification, host-cell protein removal, and biodegradable materials. Recent advancements include adaptive machine learning frameworks for viral vector production and shear-responsive nanocoatings for biomedical applications.

• Awards:
  • ACS BIOT Young Investigator Award (2025)
  • NSF CAREER Award (2017)
  • NCSU Chancellor’s Innovation Fund (2019)

Menegatti collaborates with industry partners on process analytical technologies (PAT) and has pioneered peptide ligand systems for AAV, lentivirus, and adenovirus purification. His lab actively explores sustainable biomanufacturing strategies, including engineered microbes for PET plastic degradation.