ESP Biography



ADITYA KUNJAPUR, MIT Grad Student in Chem Engr who enjoys teaching



Major: Chemical Engineering

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of Aditya Kunjapur

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I'm a grad student whose interests lie at the interface between biotechnology, energy, entrepreneurship, and teaching. Few things bring me more joy than when I can help someone else understand a concept that they've really wanted to know about or think about something in a totally new way.

And while there's just so much out there that I don't know anything about, I do know a thing or two about creating "Microbial Chemical Factories." The use of microorganisms to produce valuable chemicals is the subject of my research and everyday lab work at MIT, and it's a fascinating topic that makes for a really fun summer class. The class is especially because my co-teacher and I strive to keep it interactive and we do hands-on demos. So if you're a high school student interested in biology/chemistry/engineering, you should totally sign up!



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

E5970: Microbial Chemical Factories (or How to Win Friends and Influence Microbes) in HSSP Summer 2012 (Jul. 08, 2012)
Come learn about synthetic biology, an exciting field that combines engineering with molecular biology. In class, we’ll aim to answer questions like these: How do we harness the power of microbes and proteins so that we can to produce important chemicals like biofuels and pharmaceuticals from renewable resources? How can we assemble existing biological processes in new and useful ways? To get there, we’ll be looking at everything from recombinant DNA technology to what laundry detergent has in common with pineapple juice (and how that knowledge can be useful). We’ll also do hands-on demos and experiments that you can use later to impress your friends and family.


E4770: Microbial Chemical Factories (or How to Win Friends and Influence Microbes) in HSSP Summer 2011 (Jul. 10, 2011)
Come learn about synthetic biology, an exciting field that combines engineering with molecular biology. In class, we’ll aim to answer questions like these: How do we harness the power of microbes and proteins so that we can to produce important chemicals like biofuels and pharmaceuticals from renewable resources? How can we assemble existing biological processes in new and useful ways? To get there, we'll be looking at everything from recombinant DNA technology to what laundry detergent has in common with pineapple juice (and how that knowledge can be useful). We’ll also do hands-on demos and experiments that you can use later to impress your friends and family.