William Grubbe

Graduate Student
Contact: wgrubbe@uchicago.edu
Office Location:
Cummings Life Science Center (1003)

Will is from Palatine, IL and received his B.S. and M.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Northwestern University in 2017 and 2018, performing research in synthetic biology and cell-free protein synthesis and completing his master’s thesis under Prof. Michael Jewett. He joined the PME as a graduate student in 2018 and is co-advised by Professors Juan Mendoza and Juan de Pablo. Broadly, Will is interested in better understanding protein structure and function and how protein-based technologies can be applied to a wide range of challenges. Outside of the lab, Will enjoys nature (especially plants) and learning. If you’re interested in working together, please reach out!

Will’s research applies protein engineering and simulation techniques to better understand protein interactions in biological systems. He has developed in vitro protein synthesis and evolution methods for immune protein engineering in an attempt to increase the speed and efficacy of the design cycle. Using molecular dynamics simulation, Will is also attempting to better instruct immune protein engineering by generating insights into how these molecules behave at an atomistic level. Specifically, he is focusing on the interferon (IFN) superfamily of cytokine proteins and their receptors, which have many uses as therapeutics and as research tools.

William Grubbe

Graduate Student

Current Research