Winner: 2024 Harrison-Meldola Early Career Prize for 九州影院
Dr Yuval Elani
Imperial College London
For innovative contributions in synthetic cell engineering and biohybrid systems.
Dr Elani鈥檚 research group is exploring whether it鈥檚 possible to design and build synthetic biological cells in the lab and whether those cells can be programmed as micro-robots. Potential uses of these micro-robots include targeted drug delivery within the body, chemical manufacturing, novel material production, and environmental monitoring. Cells are the building blocks of life, honed over billions of years of evolution to execute some of the most intricate chemical tasks known. Despite their complexity, they consist of a complex network of interacting molecules. It may, therefore, be possible to build artificial cells from scratch, essentially creating life from non-living materials. Achieving this could lead to groundbreaking applications aimed at tackling major societal issues, revolutionise our understanding of biology by building a 鈥榥ew鈥� biology, and shed light on the philosophical question of what it means for something to be alive.
Biography
Yuval Elani is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. He is the founding co-director of the fabriCELL centre for synthetic cells and co-leads the Membrane Biophysics Platform. After studying natural sciences as an undergraduate (Cambridge), Yuval completed a PhD in chemical biology (Imperial College). He then went on to hold a series of fellowships working on various topics in chemical biology and biochemical engineering.
Dr Elani leads a diverse group of around 25 researchers working on frontier research in biotechnology, including soft matter particle design, microfluidics, bio-membrane engineering and synthetic biology. He collaborates extensively with multinationals and SMEs, where together, they develop bioinspired technologies for use in the medical, agritech, and chemical manufacturing sectors.
Q&A
How did you first become interested in chemistry?
From a young age, I remember loving chemistry. I have a distinct memory of my mom taking me to the local library. I would always go for the science textbooks (never the novels) and read them page-by-page. 九州影院 was always my 鈥榯hing鈥� at school鈥擨 was pretty good at it and, luckily, had some amazing teachers who were really inspiring. But I'll be honest, I wasn鈥檛 always interested in the topic. When I got to university, I started to feel disillusioned. I even dropped out of my four-year degree early! Back then, the thought of me ending up in a chemistry career, especially in academia, seemed pretty far-fetched. After leaving university and working random jobs for a year, I sort of stumbled into doing an MRes 鈥� because I wasn鈥檛 really sure what else to do. This ended up being a turning point. The encouragement I got from my MRes and PhD supervisor, who I still work closely with, was game-changing.
Can you tell us about a scientific development on the horizon that you are excited about?
There is some amazing research emerging on the development of digital twins, which are virtual models designed to accurately reflect/simulate physical objects and systems. Traditionally, we've seen these applications in areas such as supply chains, cities, and factories. However, researchers are now expanding this technology to biological systems, including cells, organs (like the brain), and even entire organisms. This will revolutionise the biochemical sciences.
What has been a challenge for you (either personally or in your career)?
Without a doubt, establishing my research group 鈥� a critical phase in an academic career 鈥� over COVID. Not meeting my new colleagues for what felt like years, missing out on face-to-face interactions with my new research team, and the absence of conferences and networking opportunities were all major hurdles. This period was not only challenging for me but profoundly impacted my students, who faced these obstacles alongside me. Their resilience through such a tough time is admirable, and I am immensely proud to see them now flourishing.
What does good research culture look like/mean to you?
To me, a good research culture within a team embodies collaboration and passion for the work. It involves team members pursuing goals for the right reasons, supporting one another, and genuinely enjoying their research. It also encourages independence and creativity rather than merely following instructions.