Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Duke University
Pranam Chatterjee is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science at Duke University. Research in his Programmable Biology Group exists at the interface of computational design and experimental engineering, specifically employing artificial intelligence (AI) to generate programmable proteins for applications in genome, proteome, and cell engineering. Having completed his SB, SM, and PhD from MIT, he has engineered genome editing technologies that represent some of the broadest, safest, and most effective CRISPR enzymes to date. More recently, his research at Duke has extended to the emergent field of “proteome” editing, where his team leverages generative language models to design potent “guides” peptides that bind and post-translationally modify pathogenic proteins, including those implicated in genetic diseases, viral diseases, and cancer. His established expertise in deep learning-based design are further being applied to develop transcription factor-based stem cell differentiation protocols for ovarian cell types, including primordial germ cells and oocytes. Overall, the long-term goals of his lab are to de novo design protein-based therapeutics by integrating the newest advances in generative AI with robust experimental engineering platforms.