Research Program: Cancer Discovery Platforms Bridging the Engineering-Biology Continuum
Strategic Theme: Drug Discovery
The Mehta Lab is combining expertise in synthetic biology and synthetic chemistry to develop fundamentally novel, modular platforms to engineer selectivity in targeting cancers. They are using principles of directed evolution and biomolecule delivery platforms to engineer novel biologics that specifically target cancers where the biomarkers are well characterized.
Mehta received his B.Tech. from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai and his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University (Advisor: Prof. Tadhg P. Begley). After his postdoctoral training with Prof. Peter G. Schultz at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, Professor Mehta joined the University of Illinois faculty in 2019. His research interests are in the areas of synthetic and chemical biology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry.