Neil Dalvie is a graduate student in Chemical Engineering at MIT. He received his B.S. (2016) in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University, where he worked on design principles for modular metabolite biosensors in bacteria.
At MIT, Neil applies tools from synthetic biology to enable low-cost manufacturing of therapeutic proteins in yeast. He established a platform for rapid, rational engineering of subunit vaccine antigens. This work culminated in a COVID-19 vaccine candidate for low-income countries that is in clinical development. In parallel, Neil developed genome editing tools in the industrial yeast Pichia pastoris, which enabled “fit-for-purpose” strains for the low-cost production of complex therapeutics like monoclonal antibodies.
In the pandemic, Neil designed and instructed a new Chemical Engineering elective course on the Design and Development of Immunotherapies. He has mentored undergraduate students, professional research staff, and graduate students. Outside of the lab, Neil is an avid basketball and foosball player.