Research/Areas of Interest
Synthetic Biology, Materials Chemistry, Chemical Biology. We envision a future in which engineered biological systems are integral to human prosperity. Engineering biology has the potential to improve many areas of modern society through new sustainable manufacturing practices, biomedical innovations that communicate with our bodies reciprocally, and responsible stewardship of our ecology. Toward these ideals, our group seeks to develop new ways that genetically engineered microbes can build and interface with their environments in ways that are prescribed by biotechnologists. A central area of investigation has been on the development of bacterial systems that produce protein nanofibers (i.e., "curli" fibers) as a scaffold for materials fabrication. We call this platform technology Biofilm Integrated Nanofiber Display (BIND), and have pursued its application in bioremediation, sustainable plastics alternatives, and gut-targeted therapeutics. We are also exploring the use of engineered bacteria to drive pH, color, and shape changes for materials, and the development of engineered living systems for highly parallelized biosensing.
Education
- PhD, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States, 2006
- BS, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, United States, 2001
Biography
Dr Joshi started his independent academic career at Harvard University in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and as a Core Faculty Member of the Wyss Institute from 2010-2019. His group helped to pioneer the development of the sub-field of Engineered Living Materials, which seeks to incorporate genetically modified living cells into the fabrication and function of materials of several types. In 2020, he shifted his lab to Northeastern, where he held a primary appointment in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, along with an affiliate appointment in Bioengineering. At Northeastern he extended his interests to the development of cellular sensors and engineered living systems.
Dr. Joshi joined the faculty at Tufts in 2026 and holds a primary appointment in the Chemistry Department with an affiliate appointment in Biomedical Engineering. His research and teaching interests lie broadly at the interface of biochemistry, cell biology, organic chemistry, and biological engineering.