2023—Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
2023—Duke Science & Technology (DST) Scholar
2023—Member, Center for Advanced Genomics Technologies (CAGT)
2023—Member, Duke Center for Quantitative BioDesign (QBio)
2024—Member, Quantitative Living Systems Center
2024—Member, University Program in Genetics & Genomics
2025—Member, Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Program (CBB)
Education
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYCambridge, MA
2018-2022Post-doctoral Fellow
MIT Media Lab & Department of Biological Engineering
Advisor(s): Prof. Kevin Esvelt & Prof. James Collins
STANFORD UNIVERSITYStanford, CA
2018Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering
2014M.S. in Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Professor Gerald Crabtree, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Co-Advisor: Professor Andrew Spakowitz, Department of Chemical Engineering
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITYBoston, MA
2012B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Magna Cum Laude, College Honors Distinction, Dean’s Scholar
Minor(s): Chemistry, Biology, and Biochemical Engineering
Publications & Patents
Pre-prints
1).Boileau RM*, Golas SM*, Ma Q, Jiang B, Jia M, Ilieva N, Baydush A, Fu H, Chory EJ. (2026). "An autonomous system for multi-objective continuous evolution at scale". bioRxiv. 2026.03.02.709196
2).Golas SM, Gill B, Wardlow K, Baydush A, Linzbach J, Chory EJ. (2026). "A purpose-built open source liquid handler for industry-class automated experiments". bioRxiv. 2026.03. 02.709168
3).Holmes AZ, Shyti I, Hoffman AL, Duncker KE, Ma HR, Zhou Z, Lee D, Maddamsetti R, Kim K, Şimşek E, Hamrick GS, Son H, Villalobos CA, Lu J, Ha Y, Shende AR, Yao Z, Liu S, Shapiro DM, Kholina K, Davis H, Baig Y, Wu F, Wang S, Wang X, Chatterjee P, Lynch M, Lopatkin AJ, David L, Chory EJ, You L. (2025). "A foundation model for microbial growth dynamics". bioRxiv. 2025.12.01.691707
4).Gretton D, Wang B, Edison R, Foner L, Berlips J, Vogel T, Kysel M, Chen W, Sage-Ling F, Van Hauwe L, Wooster S, Weinstein-Raun B, DeBenedictis E A, Liu A B, Chory EJ,Cui H, Li X, Dong J, Fabrega A, Dennison C, Don O, Ye C, Uberoy K, Rivest R L, Gao M, Yu Y, Baum C, Damgard I, Yao A C, Esvelt K M. (2024). "Random adversarial threshold search enables automated DNA screening". bioRxiv. 2024.03.20.585782
Publications
1).Buchthal J, Chory EJ, Hill Z, Zhou Y, Bondage D, DeAmelio S, Freeman J, Jaenisch R, Markoulaki S, Marasco W A, Telford S, Esvelt K M. (2026). "Heritable Immunization Establishes a New Model for Pathogen Control". Nature Communications. 17, 5814
2).Buchthal J*, Chory EJ*, Hill Z, Dennison C, Tu B, Wierenga R P, Çevrim Ç, Golas S, Meier G, Lan T C T, Chung H, Boucher M, Telford S R, McKinley K L, Markoulaki S, Jaenisch R, Esvelt K M. (2026). "Non-invasive ovulation tracking enables genetic engineering in wild rodents". Cell Reports Methods. Volume 6, Issue 2. 101311
3).Chory EJ*, Wang M*, Ceribelli M, Michalowska AM, Golas S, Beck E, Klumpp-Thomas C, Chen L, McKnight C, Itkin Z, Wilson KM, Holland D, Divakaran S, Bradner J, Khan J, Gryder BE, Thomas CJ, Stanton BZ. (2023). "High-throughput approaches to uncover synergistic drug combinations in leukemia". SLAS Discovery. 28(4) PMC10449086
5).Zhao EM, Mao AS, Puig HD, Zhang K, Tippens ND, Tan X, Ran FA, Han I, Nguyen PQ, Chory EJ, Hua TY, Ramesh P, Thompson DB, Oh CY, Zigon ES, English MA, Collins JJ. (2022). "RNA-responsive elements for eukaryotic translational control". Nature biotechnology. 539-545 34711989
6).Chory EJ*, Gretton DW*, DeBenedictis EA, Esvelt KM. (2021). "Enabling high‐throughput biology with flexible open‐source automation". Molecular systems biology. MSB20209942 PMC7993322
7).Chory EJ, Kirkland JG, Chang C, D’Andrea VD, Gourisankar S, Dykhuizen EC, Crabtree GR. (2020). "Chemical Inhibitors of a Selective SWI/SNF Function Synergize with ATR Inhibition in Cancer Cell Killing". ACS Chemical Biology. PMC8273930
8).Stokes JM, Yang K, Swanson K, Jin W, Cubillos-Ruiz A, Donghia NM, MacNair CR, French S, Carfrae LA, Bloom-Ackermann Z, Tran VM, Chiappino-Pepe A, Badran AH, Andrews IW, Chory EJ, Church GM, Brown ED, Jaakkola TS, Barzilay R, Collins JJ. (2020). "A deep learning approach to antibiotic discovery". Cell. 180(4) PMC8349178
9).Chory EJ, Calarco JP, Hathaway NA, Bell O, Neel DS, Crabtree GR. (2019). "Nucleosome turnover regulates histone methylation patterns over the genome". Molecular cell. 61-72. e3 PMC6510544
10).Braun SM, Kirkland JG, Chory EJ, Husmann D, Calarco JP, Crabtree GR. (2017). "Rapid and reversible epigenome editing by endogenous chromatin regulators". Nature communications. 560 PMC5601922
11).Kadoch C, Williams RT, Calarco JP, Miller EL, Weber CM, Braun SM, Pulice JL, Chory EJ, Crabtree GR. (2017). "Dynamics of BAF–Polycomb complex opposition on heterochromatin in normal and oncogenic states". Nature genetics. 213-222 PMC5285326
12).Yi JS, Federation AJ, Qi J, Dhe-Paganon S, Hadler M, Xu X, Pierre RS, Varca AC, Wu L, Marineau JJ, Smith WB, Souza A, Chory EJ, Armstrong SA, Bradner JE. (2015). "Structure-guided DOT1L probe optimization by label-free ligand displacement". ACS chemical biology. 667-674 PMC4504433
13).Vickers DA, Chory EJ, Harless MC, Murthy SK. (2013). "P38 signaling and receptor recycling events in a microfluidic endothelial cell adhesion assay". Plos one. e65828 PMC3676332
14).Vickers DA, Chory EJ, Murthy SK. (2012). "Separation of two phenotypically similar cell types via a single common marker in microfluidic channels". Lab on a Chip. 3399-3407 22782544
15).Yu W, Chory EJ, Wernimont AK, Tempel W, Scopton A, Federation A, Marineau JJ, Qi J, Barsyte-Lovejoy D, Yi J, Marcellus R, Iacob RE, Engen JR, Griffin C, Aman A, Wienholds E, Li F, Pineda J, Estiu G, Shatseva T, Hajian T, Al-Awar R, Dick JE, Vedadi M, Brown PJ, Arrowsmith CH, Bradner JE, Schapira M. (2012). "Catalytic site remodelling of the DOT1L methyltransferase by selective inhibitors". Nature communications. 1288 23250418
Reviews
1).Golas S, Chory EJ. (2023). "Proximity labeling of endogenous protein interactions enabled by directed evolution". Trends in Biotechnology. 41(3) 36710130
2).Garzon-Porras AM, Chory EJ, Gryder BE. (2022). "Dynamic opposition of histone modifications". . 1027-1036 35297606
3).Stanton BZ, Chory EJ, Crabtree GR. (2018). "Chemically induced proximity in biology and medicine". Science. eaao5902 PMC6417506
Patents
1).Liu Y, Brody J D, Zhang S, Schouten L, Ren P, Bauer J, Collins J J, Tax X, Ran F, Mao A S, de Puig Guixe H, Chory EJ. (2024). "Riboswitch modules and methods for controlling eukaryotic protein translation". USPTO. US Patent App# 18/008,935
2).Chory EJ, Esvelt K, Mukkamala V. (2024). "System for the directed evolution of biomolecules in multi-body complexes". USPTO. US Patent App# 18/408,191
3).Chory EJ, Crabtree GR, Dykhuizen EC. (2022). "BAF complex modulating compounds and methods of using the same". USPTO. US Patent App# 11,267,809
4).Avila M, Esvelt KM, Strait EA, Chory EJ. (2021). "Methods of multiplexing CRISPR". USPTO. US Patent App# 16/931,389
Talks & Seminars
2026Invited TalkMid-Atlantic Synthetic Biology NetworkCollege Park, MD
2025Invited TalkDuke Basic Science Symposium, Duke University SOMDurham, NC
2024Invited TalkVirofight Symposium, Technical University of MunichMunich, GE
2024Plenary TalkAIChE Annual Meeting, AIChESan Diego, CA
2024Invited TalkNew Investigators in Chromatin and Epigenetics, NICEPittsburgh, PA
2023Invited TalkCBTE Seminar Series, Duke UniversityDurham, NC
2023SpeakerSynthetic Biology, Gordon Research ConferenceNewry, ME
2023SpeakerMammalian Synthetic Biology Workshop, SBESan Jose, CA
2023SpeakerSynBio, Engineering, Evolution & Design, SBELos Angeles, CA
2023Invited TalkASBMB Annual Meeting, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySeattle, WA
2023Invited TalkConvergence Seminar, Gladstone InstitutesSan Francisco
2022SpeakerChromatin Structure and Function, GRCBarcelona
2022SpeakerMolecular Mechanisms in Evolution and Ecology, EMBLHeidelberg
2022SpeakerSLAS2022 International Conference, Society for Laboratory Automation and ScreeningBoston, MA
2022Invited TalkEdison Lectureship, University of Notre Dame, CBESouth Bend, IN
2021Invited TalkBioengineering Seminar Series, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
2021Invited TalkCenter for Advancing Translational Science, NIH/NCATSBethesda, MD
2021Invited TalkProtein, Cellular, and Structural Sciences Forum, GlaxoSmithKlineLondon, UK
2018SpeakerInt. Conference on Epigenetics and Bioengineering, AIChESan Francisco
2018SpeakerGenome Instability, Gordon Research ConferenceHong Kong
2017SpeakerInt. Conference on Epigenetics and Bioengineering, AIChEMiami, FL
2016SpeakerChemical Engineering Convocation and Research Symposium, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
Teaching
2024Primary Instructor & Developer, Duke University, Department of Biomedical EngineeringBME 590 “The Art of Automated Discovery: Engineering Biology at Scale”: Designed and taught a course on bioautomation, high-throughput screening, and computational tools for large-scale biological research. The curriculum integrates hands-on programming with PyLabRobot, guest lectures from industry leaders, and a project-based assessment model emphasizing automation in biomedical engineering.
2024Primary Instructor, Duke University, Department of Biomedical EngineeringBME 406L/706L “Biotechnology Design II”: Leads a senior/graduate-level capstone course on biotechnology design, guiding students through the iterative process of developing innovative biotechnological solutions. Students engage in team-based projects incorporating experimental design, prototyping, and translational considerations, culminating in final presentations and preprints on bioRxiv.
2022Kaufman Teaching Certificate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology“A Century of Biotechnology: 21 Discoveries that changed science and the world”
2019Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology MAS.841: “Evolution: Natural and Directed”
15-17Guest Lecturer, Stanford University. Biotechnology E25B: “Advances in Genome Engineering”
2011AIChE Outstanding Student in Chemical EngineeringAIChE Ichthyologists (Boston)
2010Provost Undergraduate Research AwardNortheastern University
2010Matz Scholar AwardBarnett Institute
2010Gordon Engineering Leadership ScholarNortheastern University
2010Jean R. Beers AwardSociety of Women Engineers
Fellowships
2021Hanna Gray Fellow Semi- Finalist, Howard Hughes Medical Institute HHM
2020Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, Post-doctoral Fellowship NIH/NCINational Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute (F32 CA247274)
2019Hanna Gray Fellow Semi- Finalist, Howard Hughes Medical Institute HHMI
2016Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, Pre-doctoral Fellowship NIH/NCINational Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute (F31 CA203228)
2012National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship NSF
Research Experience
2023—Chory Lab, Principle Investigator Department of Biomedical EngineeringIn the Chory lab, we combine the disciplines of directed evolution, high-throughput robotics, and chromatin biology to engineer novel precision biologics and build mechanistic models that will better inform our ability to understand and tackle human disease.Duke University
2018—2023Collins & Esvelt Laboratories, Post-doctoral Fellow Media Lab & Biological Engineering,As a post-doctoral associate under the mentorship of Kevin Esvelt and James Collins, I am combining directed evolution with synthetic biology to develop a platform for the discovery of novel, affordable and accessible peptide therapeutics for classically “undruggable” targets.MIT
2012—2018Crabtree Laboratory, PhD. Candidate HHMIMy doctoral training focuses on the dynamic mechanisms that control chromatin regulation, specifically investigating the functional consequences of and systematically controlling higher-order chromatin structure in disease through the development of in vivo chemical tools.Stanford University
2011—2012Bradner Laboratory, Undergraduate Research Tech/Co-opUnder the guidance of Dr. James Bradner (Current: Amgen), I developed a high-throughput platform against the methyltransferase domain of the human DOT-complex and synthesized selective inhibitors to prevent side-chain methylation of lysine 79 on histone 3. Our findings provided insights into therapeutic targets in an effort to counteract epigenetic gene mis-regulation in cancer.Harvard Medical School
2010—2011Murthy Laboratory, Undergrad Research Asst.Dept. of ChemEng,In the laboratory of Professor Shashi Murthy, I investigated the roles of surface receptor recycling as applied to high-resolution cell capture and isolation in microfluidic channels.Northeastern University
Service
2025—Faculty Advisor, Duke Research in Engineering ProgramDukeREP
MS Students: Dana Gretton, Mariah Savoie, Ashton Strait
Research Techs: Stefan Golas
Undergrads: Vainavi Mukkamala
Mentor (Crabtree Lab, 2016-2018)Stanford University
PhD Students: Sai Gourisankar
Industry Experience
2022 - PresentBullseye Biosciences (Founder)Bullseye Bio is a recently funded start-up out of MIT using Phage- and Robotics-Assisted Near Continuous Evolution, which is the first and only platform to industrialize the unrealized potential of PACE for therapeutic purposes.Boston MA
2022 - 2025Blueyard Capital (Venture Partner)BlueYard invests in founders with transforming ideas that decentralize markets and empower humanity. Typically $1-3m as an initial investment; active around the world.Berlin GE
2015 - 2018Propel(x) (Contributor)Propel(x) is a recent crowd-funding angel investment platform which provides due diligence on deep technology start ups. I leverage my diverse scientific expertise to provide insight and analysis into technology advances within the life sciences.San Francisco CA
May-Dec 2010Firefly Bioworks Inc. (Bioassay Scientist , Co-op)(Acquired by Abcam in 2015) Through the co-operative education program at Northeastern University, I became Firefly Bioworks’ 3rd full-time employee. I contributed to Firefly’s first commercial product—a multi-functional microparticle, microfluidic flow-based, high-throughput platform for the detection of microRNA and tissue-specific biomarkers.Cambridge MA
July-Dec 2009Procter & Gamble (Upstream R&D Co-op)Within Duracell R&D, I developed formulations, prototype evaluations, X-ray Microtypography characterization methods, and bench-scale synthesis equipment to enable upstream rechargeable battery chemistries.Needham MA
June-Aug 2008Unilever Global (R&D Intern)I investigated the source of an emulsion instability in hair and body wash formulations and developed and tested and implemented alternative stable oil-in-water emulsions.Trumbull CT
April-Aug 2007Hampford Research (R&D Intern)I designed and implemented distillations for the purpose of optimizing the yield of an azeotropic distillation with an ultimate goal of implementing a high-purity bi-product into a recycle stream.Stratford CT
Clinical Shadowing
2011Brigham & Women’s Hospital,Shadowed under Dr. James Bradner in Hematopoietic Stem cell Transplantation (100+ hr)Dana Farber Cancer Institute
2011Jimmy Fund Clinic,Shadowed under Dr. Joanna Yi in Pediatric Oncology Outpatient ClinicDana Farber Cancer Institute
Graduate Coursework
2012Applied Mathematics in Chem. and Bio. Engineering [CHEMENG300] Stanford University
2012Microhydrodynamics [CHEMENG310] Stanford University
2012Molecular Thermodynamics [CHEMENG340] Stanford University
2012Chemical Engineering Colloquium [CHEMENG699] Stanford University
2012Fundamentals and Applications of Spectroscopy [CHEMENG345] Stanford University
2012Advanced Cell Biology [BIO214] Stanford University
2012Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Engineering [CHEMENG320] Stanford University
2013Genomics, Bioinformatics & Medicine [BIOC258] Stanford University
2013Advanced Biochemical Engineering [CHEMENG355] Stanford University
2013Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Biosciences [CHEMENG459] Stanford University
2013Special Topics in Biopolymer Physics [CHEMENG514] Stanford University
2013Development and Disease Mechanisms [DBIO201] Stanford University
2014Advances in Biotechnology [CHEMENG450] Stanford University
2014Translational Bioinformatics [BIOMEDIN217] Stanford University
2015Polymer Physics [CHEMENG466] Stanford University
