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Ashutosh Chilkoti

Alan L. Kaganov Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Box 90281, Durham, NC 27708-0281
3381 CIEMAS, Durham, NC 27708

Research Interests


Focused on biomolecular materials and biointerface science and emphasizes the development of applications that span the range from bioseparations, biosensors, biomaterials, and targeted drug delivery.

Selected Grants


Breast Cancer Diagnostic Kit to Improve Early Diagnosis in Uganda

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Vanderbilt University Medical Center · 2024 - 2029

Development, Clinical Validation, and Readiness for Implementation of a Novel Mp1p D4 Point of Care Test for Rapid Diagnosis of Talaromycosis

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2023 - 2028

Scale up and toxicity studies of POEGMA-Uricase

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Gateway Bio, Inc. · 2024 - 2027

Development of point-of-care testing for Lassa and other hemorrhagic fever arenaviruses

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2022 - 2027

Medical Scientist Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2022 - 2027

University Training Program in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1994 - 2027

Duke Program of Training in Pulmonary ReSearch to Promote, Engage and Retain Academic Researchers (PROSPER)

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2022 - 2026

Development of Novel Rapid Immunoassays for Emerging Toxins--Full proposal

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Advanced Technology International · 2024 - 2026

Point-of-care cellular and molecular pathology of breast tumors on a cell phone

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2026

Plasmonically Enhanced Point-of-care Detection of Cardiac Biomarkers by a Smart Phone

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2026

Enhancing Peripheral Nerve Repair with an Injectable Recombinant Polypeptide Scaffold

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by inSoma Bio · 2025 - 2026

Next-gen stealth polymer for biofilm-resistant orthopedic implant coatings

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand · 2023 - 2025

A Fully Integrated Point-of-Care Test for Ebola

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025

Uncovering and applying the design principles of multiphasic natural and synthetic organelles

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Princeton University · 2020 - 2025

Regulation of oncogenesis and tumor response to radiation therapy by phase separation

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by American Society for Radiation Oncology · 2024 - 2025

Detection of Operationally Relevant Biomarkers - preproposal

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Advanced Technology International · 2020 - 2025

Liquid Brachytherapy in a Porcine Model to Treat Pancreatic Cancer

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2024 - 2025

Pharmacological Sciences Training Grant

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025

Multiplex point-of-care test for diagnosis, prognosis and serology of COVID19

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2025

Injectable PEG-like Conjugate for Sustained Delivery of a Peptide Drug for Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025

Acquisition of a Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS) for Fundamental and Applied Biomedical Research, Education and Training

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2024 - 2025

Investigating the role of RNP granules during heart regeneration in the zebrafish

ResearchCollaborating Investigator · Awarded by American Heart Association · 2022 - 2025

Printed Electronic Biosensors for Point-of-Care Testing of Cardiovascular Biomarkers

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2025

The mechanical role of the glycocalyx in cancer cell adhesion

ResearchCo-Mentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2024

Duke CTSA (TL1) Year 5

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2024

CRISPR-based, rapid bedside bacteremia detection for ED sepsis management

ResearchMentor · Awarded by Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2023 - 2024

Genetically Encoded Smart Biohybrid Materials

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2023

Rapid diagnosis and quantification of HIV by direct capture, labelling and detection of individual virions

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2023

Smartphone Enabled Point-of-Care Detection of Serum Markers of Liver Cancer

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2023

Multidisciplinary Heart and Vascular Diseases

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1975 - 2023

Acquisition of a Biacore T200 Surface Plasmon Resonance Instrument for Shared Use

EquipmentPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2022 - 2023

Generation of antibodies specific for optimal non-HRP2 malaria diagnostic antigens

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2023

Image-Guided Radiation Therapy System for Small Animals

EquipmentMinor User · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2022

Medical Scientist Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1997 - 2022

Tissue-Specific Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Human Kidney Disease

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by Regents of the University of Michigan · 2021 - 2022

A Point-of-Injury Screening Assay for Tactical Damage Control Resuscitation

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command · 2017 - 2021

Development of a Novel Point-of Care Prognostic Test of Neural Injury for Dogs

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina State University · 2019 - 2021

CA191146: Long-acting PEG-like conjugates of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and a selective cytokine for combination immunotherapy

ResearchMentor · Awarded by United States Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity · 2020 - 2021

Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology

ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2008 - 2021

Image-guided Dosimetry for Injectable Brachytherapy based on Elastin-like Polypeptide Nanoparticles

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2021

Non-Immunogenic PEG-like conjugates of Uricase

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Gateway Bio, Inc. · 2020 - 2021

Multivalent Immunomodulatory Proteins for Targeted Cancer Therapy

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2020 - 2021

In situ Enzymatic Synthesis of Aptamer Targeted Polynucleotide Drug Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy (Year 2)

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2021

Exploration and Development of Glycoconjugation "Click" Cycloaddition of Azide Polysaccharide and Alkyne CRM197

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Pfizer, Inc. · 2017 - 2021

RAPID: Combined Antigen and Serology Rapid Test for COVID-19

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2020 - 2021

A novel sustained-release immunotoxin for treatment of glioblastoma multiforme

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2021

Pharmacological Sciences Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEParticipating Faculty Member · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1975 - 2020

A point-of-care, biomarker-based test to predict non-healing in chronic wounds

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by The Plastic Surgery Foundation · 2018 - 2020

Point of Care Testing to Improve Monitoring of LVAD Patients

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2020

Thermo Lumos Tribrid High-Resolution Accurate-Mass Tandem Mass Spectrometer

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2019

Engineering Biology for Medicine

ConferencePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2019 - 2019

Collaborative Research: Supramolecular Materials by Nucleic Acid Block Copolymer Selfassembly

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2014 - 2019

Printable immunoassays using nanomaterial transistors for biological detection of severe acute malnutrition

FellowshipCo-Sponsor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2019

Delivery of Paclitaxel by Recombinant Polypeptide Nanoparticles

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. · 2017 - 2019

SO150005: Smartphone Enabled Point-of-care Diagnostics for Operationally Significant Pathogens

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by United States Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity · 2016 - 2019

Self-assembled microporous networks for cell culture

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by EMD Millipore · 2017 - 2019

OptiDiag: Optimizing diagnosis and management of acute malnutrition

ResearchConsultant · Awarded by Action Contre La Faim · 2015 - 2018

Non-immunogenic PEG conjugates of Biologics

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2016 - 2018

MRI: Acquisition of a Triple Quadrupole LC/MS System

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2015 - 2018

Treating Melanoma with a Molecularly Engineered, Long Circulating Immunotoxin

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2015 - 2018

Elastin Fusion Proteins

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2000 - 2018

Delivery of Cis-Platinate by Recombinant Polypeptide Nanoparticles

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. · 2017 - 2018

Acquisition of a MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer System at Duke University

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2017 - 2018

Assessing the Manufacturability of a "Next-Gen" Non-Immunogenic PEG-like Conjugate

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2016 - 2017

One-Pot Synthesis of Multicomponent Protein-Carbohydrate Antigens

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Pfizer, Inc. · 2016 - 2017

Texas State University PREM: Center on Interfaces in Materials

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Texas State University · 2012 - 2017

Thermally Triggered Multivalent Targeting of Tumors

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2007 - 2016

Thermally Targeted Drug Delivery by Elastin Biopolymers

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2002 - 2016

Protease Operated Depot for Delivery of GLP-1

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2012 - 2016

A general, enzyme-based method of producing site-specific antibody-toxin conjugates for the treatment of cancer

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2015 - 2016

Local Radionuclide Delivery to Solid Tumors by Injectible Biopolymer

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2009 - 2016

Site-Specific Growth of Stealth Polymer from Peptide Therapeutics

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2011 - 2015

Surface Initiated Enzymatic Polymerization of DNA Nanostructures for Highly Amplified Sensing

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2010 - 2015

2-D Diffusion Assay on Polymer Brush for POC Cardiac Infarction Diagnosis

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2012 - 2015

Live-Animal Micro-CT System

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2012 - 2014

NSF MRI Research Triangle X-Ray Scattering Instrumentation: SAXS/WAXS/GISAXS

EquipmentCo Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2012 - 2013

Inhibition of metastasis-initiating cells by chimeric polypeptide nanoparticles

ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2010 - 2012

Delivery of Peptide Therapeutics by Molecular Release Depots

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2010 - 2012

Detection of Biomolecules by Nanoscale Plasmon Ruler

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2009 - 2012

Genetically Designed Materials for Cartilage Repair

ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2003 - 2012

Small Animal PET / CT Molecular Imaging

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2011 - 2012

Plasmonic assay for detection of biomarkers at the single-molecule level

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2009 - 2011

Intravital point-scanning confocal microscope

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2010 - 2011

Molecular Imaging Using Hyperspectral Darkfield Microscope of Nanoparticles

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2007 - 2011

NIRT: Hierarchical Bionanomanufacturing

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2006 - 2010

Thermally-Induced Intra-Articular Drug Delivery System

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2006 - 2009

Training in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2003 - 2009

Elastin Fusion Proteins

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2000 - 2009

Nanophotonics for Select Agent Detection

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · 2003 - 2008

Nanophotonics for Select Agent Detection

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · 2003 - 2008

Nanophotonics for Select Agent Detection

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · 2003 - 2008

NER: Integrated Magnetic and Chemical Assembly Techniques for Building Nanoparticle Arrays

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2006 - 2008

pH Sensitive Elastic-Like-Peptides for Tumor Targeting

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2006 - 2008

Biointerface Science GRC

ConferencePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Army Research Office · 2006 - 2007

Thermally Targeted Drug Delivery by Elastin Biopolymers

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2002 - 2007

Nanofabrication of Polymer-Functionalized Surfaces Using Scanning Probe Lithography

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2002 - 2006

Upgrade of a Shared Instrumentation Resource in the PSOE: The Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope

EquipmentPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Lord Foundation of North Carolina · 2002 - 2005

Elastin Fusion Proteins

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2000 - 2005

The AVS2004 Biomaterials Interfaces Symposium

ConferencePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2004 - 2005

Acquisition of an Imaging XPS for Materials Research and Training

EquipmentPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2002 - 2004

Elastin Bioelastomers for Microactuation

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2000 - 2002

CAREER: Smart Protein-Polymer Conjugates for Biotechnology

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 1998 - 2002

Engineered Protein-Polymer Conjugates for Biotechnology

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 1998 - 2002

CAREER: Smart Protein - Polymer Conjugates for Biotechnology

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 1998 - 2002

Elastin Nanobiosensors

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2000 - 2002

Extrinsic Modulation of Protein-Ligand Recognition

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1998 - 2000

Extrinsic Modulation of Protein/Ligand Recognition

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1998 - 2000

An Engineering Outreach Program for High School Students at Duke University

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Lord Foundation of North Carolina · 1998 - 1999

Laboratories in Biomedical and Cellular Engineering

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Lord Foundation of North Carolina · 1998 - 1999

Isothermal Titration Calorimetry for Biological Research

EquipmentPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Division of Undergraduate Education · 1998 - 1999

Combined Atomic Force and Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy for Biological Research

EquipmentPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 1997 - 1999

Matching Funds for Combined Atomic Force & Optical...

Public ServicePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Lord Foundation of North Carolina · 1997 - 1998

External Relationships


  • BioStealth
  • GatewayBio
  • SimplusDx
  • inSoma Bio, Inc

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.