Anna Duraj-Thatteمشاهده پروفایل
استادیار
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.










