Anush Chiappino-Pepe
@anush-chp.bsky.social
Engineering the code of life for cellular insights + new chemistries/functions/technologies w #SynBio #CompBio | Research Associate w GM Church @ Harvard/Wyss, G Stephanopoulos @ MIT | #BioChemE #GeneticCodeExpansion #Metabolism www.anushchiappinopepe.com
Pinned
Preventing escape and malfunction of recoded cells due to tRNA base changes
Engineering the genetic code restricts DNA transfer (cellular bioisolation) and enables new chemistries via non-standard amino acid incorporation. These distinct properties make recoded cells state-of...
www.biorxiv.org
Hello 🦋! A brief intro: I work on decoding and expanding genome and cell functions, mostly with new amino acids. I do 🧪 and 💻, and will post about both. I care about our, the Planet’s, and academia’s health. Our latest work/preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... Happy to connect!
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Excited to release BoltzGen which brings SOTA folding performance to binder design! The best part of this project is collaborating with a broad network of leading wetlabs that test BoltzGen at an unprecedented scale, showing success on many novel targets and pushing the model to its limits!
October 26, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Excited to release BoltzGen which brings SOTA folding performance to binder design! The best part of this project is collaborating with a broad network of leading wetlabs that test BoltzGen at an unprecedented scale, showing success on many novel targets and pushing the model to its limits!
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Empathy and kindness are becoming rather rare traits these days. There is nothing more important than treating each other like the finite mortal short-lived nociceptive beings we are. A life lived in apathy feels so much shorter and far too cold.
Try to love more while you live.
Try to love more while you live.
September 3, 2025 at 5:41 AM
Empathy and kindness are becoming rather rare traits these days. There is nothing more important than treating each other like the finite mortal short-lived nociceptive beings we are. A life lived in apathy feels so much shorter and far too cold.
Try to love more while you live.
Try to love more while you live.
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
(1/n) DNA-PAINT imaging inside the nucleus at single antibody resolution using TIRF? Ultrathin sectioning makes it happen!
Grateful to share my postdoctoral work introducing “tomographic & kinetically-enhanced DNA-PAINT” or in brief: tkPAINT. Out in @pnas.org!
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
👇🧵
Grateful to share my postdoctoral work introducing “tomographic & kinetically-enhanced DNA-PAINT” or in brief: tkPAINT. Out in @pnas.org!
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
👇🧵
August 13, 2025 at 2:19 PM
(1/n) DNA-PAINT imaging inside the nucleus at single antibody resolution using TIRF? Ultrathin sectioning makes it happen!
Grateful to share my postdoctoral work introducing “tomographic & kinetically-enhanced DNA-PAINT” or in brief: tkPAINT. Out in @pnas.org!
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
👇🧵
Grateful to share my postdoctoral work introducing “tomographic & kinetically-enhanced DNA-PAINT” or in brief: tkPAINT. Out in @pnas.org!
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
👇🧵
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Important work for engineered microbial therapeutics @science.org
"Controlled colonization of the human gut with a genetically engineered microbial therapeutic"
"a therapeutic candidate that reduced hyperoxaluria, a cause of kidney stones"
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
"Controlled colonization of the human gut with a genetically engineered microbial therapeutic"
"a therapeutic candidate that reduced hyperoxaluria, a cause of kidney stones"
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Controlled colonization of the human gut with a genetically engineered microbial therapeutic
Precision microbiome programming for therapeutic applications is limited by challenges in achieving reproducible colonic colonization. Previously, we created an exclusive niche that we used to engraft...
www.science.org
July 20, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Important work for engineered microbial therapeutics @science.org
"Controlled colonization of the human gut with a genetically engineered microbial therapeutic"
"a therapeutic candidate that reduced hyperoxaluria, a cause of kidney stones"
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
"Controlled colonization of the human gut with a genetically engineered microbial therapeutic"
"a therapeutic candidate that reduced hyperoxaluria, a cause of kidney stones"
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Excited to launch our AlphaGenome API goo.gle/3ZPUeFX along with the preprint goo.gle/45AkUyc describing and evaluating our latest DNA sequence model powering the API. Looking forward to seeing how scientists use it! @googledeepmind
June 25, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Excited to launch our AlphaGenome API goo.gle/3ZPUeFX along with the preprint goo.gle/45AkUyc describing and evaluating our latest DNA sequence model powering the API. Looking forward to seeing how scientists use it! @googledeepmind
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
This is wild!
Engineering E. coli bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol (Tylenol)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Engineering E. coli bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol (Tylenol)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
June 23, 2025 at 6:55 PM
This is wild!
Engineering E. coli bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol (Tylenol)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Engineering E. coli bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol (Tylenol)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
We're one step closer to recreating the brain’s immune system in a dish thanks to researchers at @wyssinstitute.bsky.social & @harvardmed.bsky.social!🧫
Dr. George Church's (@geochurch.bsky.social) lab created #microglia from #iPSCs that resemble microglia from humans: bit.ly/4jPxYTJ
Dr. George Church's (@geochurch.bsky.social) lab created #microglia from #iPSCs that resemble microglia from humans: bit.ly/4jPxYTJ
June 17, 2025 at 4:55 PM
We're one step closer to recreating the brain’s immune system in a dish thanks to researchers at @wyssinstitute.bsky.social & @harvardmed.bsky.social!🧫
Dr. George Church's (@geochurch.bsky.social) lab created #microglia from #iPSCs that resemble microglia from humans: bit.ly/4jPxYTJ
Dr. George Church's (@geochurch.bsky.social) lab created #microglia from #iPSCs that resemble microglia from humans: bit.ly/4jPxYTJ
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
I was among a few people at Columbia interviewed by Chemical and Engineering News (this is one of my faculty colleagues on the cover):
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
At Columbia, dismay among chemical scientists
Some have already lost grants, while others fear for students and future funding
cen.acs.org
June 7, 2025 at 1:39 AM
I was among a few people at Columbia interviewed by Chemical and Engineering News (this is one of my faculty colleagues on the cover):
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
The US has been a preeminent force in the global economy for the past 50 years, mainly due to its leadership in technological innovation. The abrupt changes in government funding for scientific research can stop this innovation engine. Hear more from our community about the importance of science.
The Importance of Science
The United States has been the preeminent force in the world economy for the past 50 years because it has been the leader in technology innovation. The abrupt changes in government funding for scienti...
wyss.harvard.edu
May 28, 2025 at 2:56 PM
The US has been a preeminent force in the global economy for the past 50 years, mainly due to its leadership in technological innovation. The abrupt changes in government funding for scientific research can stop this innovation engine. Hear more from our community about the importance of science.
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Happy to share the peer-reviewed and updated version of our work on OrthoRep-driven evolution of aaRSs for genetic code expansion with unnatural amino acids. Congrats to Yuichi Furuhata, a true master bioengineer, on leading this excellent work! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Directed evolution of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases through in vivo hypermutation - Nature Communications
Genetic code expansion (GCE) enables the incorporation of new amino acids into proteins. Here, authors demonstrate the rapid OrthoRep-driven evolution of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases for GCE, increasing...
www.nature.com
May 24, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Happy to share the peer-reviewed and updated version of our work on OrthoRep-driven evolution of aaRSs for genetic code expansion with unnatural amino acids. Congrats to Yuichi Furuhata, a true master bioengineer, on leading this excellent work! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A lot is happening, but science keeps me excited and energized. This is how much we scientists care about discovery and making a positive impact on society. Thank you to everyone who supports us.
May 23, 2025 at 2:51 PM
A lot is happening, but science keeps me excited and energized. This is how much we scientists care about discovery and making a positive impact on society. Thank you to everyone who supports us.
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Harvard today, your institution tomorrow.
It's all part of the Project 2025 plan to destroy high education in America.
All leading US universities depend on federal funding and tuition dollars from international students. They severely curtailed the former. Now they're eliminating the latter.
It's all part of the Project 2025 plan to destroy high education in America.
All leading US universities depend on federal funding and tuition dollars from international students. They severely curtailed the former. Now they're eliminating the latter.
May 22, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Harvard today, your institution tomorrow.
It's all part of the Project 2025 plan to destroy high education in America.
All leading US universities depend on federal funding and tuition dollars from international students. They severely curtailed the former. Now they're eliminating the latter.
It's all part of the Project 2025 plan to destroy high education in America.
All leading US universities depend on federal funding and tuition dollars from international students. They severely curtailed the former. Now they're eliminating the latter.
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Let's talk about these two department store owners: brother and sister Louis Bamberger and Caroline Bamberger Fuld. From Newark, New Jersey.
They are random people, basically. But in the late 1920s, with fascism taking over Europe, they made a choice that profoundly changed the world: 🧵
They are random people, basically. But in the late 1920s, with fascism taking over Europe, they made a choice that profoundly changed the world: 🧵
May 14, 2025 at 4:41 AM
Let's talk about these two department store owners: brother and sister Louis Bamberger and Caroline Bamberger Fuld. From Newark, New Jersey.
They are random people, basically. But in the late 1920s, with fascism taking over Europe, they made a choice that profoundly changed the world: 🧵
They are random people, basically. But in the late 1920s, with fascism taking over Europe, they made a choice that profoundly changed the world: 🧵
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Vibrio natriegens has been engineered for bioremediation of complex organic pollutants - biphenyl, phenol, naphthalene, dibenzofuran and toluene - in saline wastewater and soils
🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Bioremediation of complex organic pollutants by engineered Vibrio natriegens - Nature
A synthetic biology approach was used to engineer Vibrio natriegens into a strain capable of bioremediating complex organic pollutants in saline wastewater and soils, thereby addressing notable threat...
www.nature.com
May 9, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Vibrio natriegens has been engineered for bioremediation of complex organic pollutants - biphenyl, phenol, naphthalene, dibenzofuran and toluene - in saline wastewater and soils
🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Elizabeth Hann imagines a future where food production is more sustainable. She's developing microbes that produce commodities more sustainably. Learn more about Elizabeth & her work in this month’s #HOWyss.
Elizabeth Hann on Using Microbes to Save the Earth
The Humans of the Wyss (HOW) series features members of the Wyss community discussing their work, the influences that shape them as professionals, and their collaborations at the Wyss Institute and be...
wyss.harvard.edu
April 29, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Elizabeth Hann imagines a future where food production is more sustainable. She's developing microbes that produce commodities more sustainably. Learn more about Elizabeth & her work in this month’s #HOWyss.
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Super excited to share a new preprint from our lab on design of small-molecule binding proteins using neural networks! The paper has a bit of everything. A new graph neural network, new design algorithms, and experimental validation. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵🧪
🧵🧪
Zero-shot design of drug-binding proteins via neural selection-expansion
Computational design of molecular recognition remains challenging despite advances in deep learning. The design of proteins that bind to small molecules has been particularly difficult because it requ...
www.biorxiv.org
April 28, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Super excited to share a new preprint from our lab on design of small-molecule binding proteins using neural networks! The paper has a bit of everything. A new graph neural network, new design algorithms, and experimental validation. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵🧪
🧵🧪
I am a bit traumatized. I first read „mass deportation“ 🫣
Mass deposition of microbes from wildfire smoke to the sea surface microlayer aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #jcampubs 🌊
April 29, 2025 at 12:30 AM
I am a bit traumatized. I first read „mass deportation“ 🫣
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
i'm just a senior postdoc, standing in front of a career that i have worked really hard for, asking higher education in the united states to not completely implode in front of my eyes before i even get a chance to say the words 'my lab studies'
April 28, 2025 at 5:42 PM
i'm just a senior postdoc, standing in front of a career that i have worked really hard for, asking higher education in the united states to not completely implode in front of my eyes before i even get a chance to say the words 'my lab studies'
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Huge opportunity for postdocs gearing up for an academic job search, hosted by @stanford-chemh.bsky.social @berkeleymcb.bsky.social and UCSF!
Hello Community!
Are you a postdoc/grad student preparing to launch a faculty search? Do you have a track record of excellence in research, leadership, mentorship & community engagement? Apply to the 2025 Next Generation Faculty Symposium: www.berkeleystanfordnextgensymposium.com! Pls repost! (1/3)
Are you a postdoc/grad student preparing to launch a faculty search? Do you have a track record of excellence in research, leadership, mentorship & community engagement? Apply to the 2025 Next Generation Faculty Symposium: www.berkeleystanfordnextgensymposium.com! Pls repost! (1/3)
April 25, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Huge opportunity for postdocs gearing up for an academic job search, hosted by @stanford-chemh.bsky.social @berkeleymcb.bsky.social and UCSF!
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
This is very sad and wasteful. A lot of the value comes from longitudinal data. Stopping early wastes all of the startup costs. NIH cancels its first and largest study centered on women | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
NIH cancels its first and largest study centered on women
The Women’s Health Initiative has produced numerous influential findings
www.science.org
April 23, 2025 at 3:05 PM
This is very sad and wasteful. A lot of the value comes from longitudinal data. Stopping early wastes all of the startup costs. NIH cancels its first and largest study centered on women | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
AAU updates their excellent explainer about indirect costs to cover the current attacks...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtqK...
1/2
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtqK...
1/2
Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs Explainer
YouTube video by Association of American Universities
www.youtube.com
April 23, 2025 at 1:07 PM
AAU updates their excellent explainer about indirect costs to cover the current attacks...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtqK...
1/2
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtqK...
1/2
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Ever wonder how many lives have been saved by NIH-funded research - including your own? Enter any medical condition and instantly see how your tax dollars transformed science into survival.
www.ourhealthroi.com
www.ourhealthroi.com
Our Health ROI
Explore how your tax dollars fund life‑saving medical research.
www.ourhealthroi.com
April 21, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Ever wonder how many lives have been saved by NIH-funded research - including your own? Enter any medical condition and instantly see how your tax dollars transformed science into survival.
www.ourhealthroi.com
www.ourhealthroi.com
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
A huge, new resource for plasmid research - PlasmidScope is a database of 852,000 #plasmid sequences with a rich set of annotations, automated online analysis and interactive visualisation academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
PlasmidScope: a comprehensive plasmid database with rich annotations and online analytical tools
Abstract. Plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic molecules that replicate independent of chromosomes in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic organisms. They co
academic.oup.com
April 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM
A huge, new resource for plasmid research - PlasmidScope is a database of 852,000 #plasmid sequences with a rich set of annotations, automated online analysis and interactive visualisation academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Reposted by Anush Chiappino-Pepe
Our study exploring the evolutionary mechanism of alphavirus opal codon retention is now online! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A conserved opal termination codon optimizes a temperature-dependent trade-off between protein production and processing in alphaviruses
Alphaviruses optimize viral polymerase production and polyprotein processing at distinct temperatures via a premature stop codon.
www.science.org
April 18, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Our study exploring the evolutionary mechanism of alphavirus opal codon retention is now online! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...