About

Goldy Gopher mascot leaning on a DNA double helix

Support:

The Engelhart lab gratefully acknowledges support, past and present, from:

NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) logo
NSF CAREER Logo
NASA Center for the Origin Of Life (COOL) Logo
NASA Logo
Air Force Office of Scientific Research Logo
Department of Defense Logo
Combined Scialog/Research Corporation for Science Advancement Logo
Heising-Simons Foundation Logo
Arrakis Therapeutics Logo
New England Biolabs Logo
Space Grant Consortium Logo
Mindlin Foundation Logo
A cartoon image of the Goldy Gopher mascot leaning on a DNA strand

Awards:

  • 2024, NSF CAREER, National Science Foundation
  • 2021-2023, Scialog Fellow, Research Corporation for Science Advancement
  • 2017, Stanley Miller Early-Career Research Award, International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life.
  • 2014-2015, Tosteson Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital Executive Committee on Research
  • 2011-2013, NASA Astrobiology Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • 2006, Texaco Fellowship Award, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • 2005, Cherry Emerson Fellowship Award, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • 2005, Barrett Honors College Thesis Support Award, Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University
  • 2000-2004, National Merit Scholarship

Presentations (selected)

  • Engelhart, A. E. et.al. AbSciCon, “Membrane-biopolymer interactions in model protocells” (May 2022)
  • Engelhart, A. E., Pacifichem, “The RNA world on Mars.” (December 20, 2021).
  • Engelhart, A. E., Pacifichem, “Conditionally active electron transfer catalysts enabled by bioinspired remodeling of nucleic acid secondary structure.” (December 17, 2021).
  • Engelhart, A. E., Pacifichem, “Highly specific, multiplexed isothermal pathogen detection with fluorescent aptamer readout.” (December 16, 2021).
  • Engelhart, A. E., American Chemical Society – Fall 2021 Meeting, “Highly specific, multiplexed isothermal pathogen detection with fluorescent aptamer readout,” American Chemical Society. (August 23, 2021).
  • Engelhart, A. E., American Chemical Society – Fall 2021 Meeting, “Conditionally active electron transfer catalysts enabled by bioinspired remodeling of polymer secondary structure,” American Chemical Society. (August 21, 2021).
  • Engelhart, A. E., “Enabling safe reopenings with new molecular diagnostics,” Indiana University. (April 5, 2021).
  • Engelhart, A. E., “Enabling safe reopenings with new molecular diagnostics,” University of Minnesota. (February 25, 2021).
  • Engelhart, A. E., “Life in Space,” Chicago, Illinois. (August 2020).
  • Engelhart, A. E., “Isothermal molecular diagnostics using fluorescent aptamers,” New England Biolabs, Ipswitch, Massachusetts, United States. (July 2020).
  • Engelhart, A. E., American Chemical Society Spring 2020 National Meeting, “Conditionally active electron transfer catalysts enabled by bioinspired remodeling of polymer secondary structure.” (March 2020).
  • Engelhart, A. E., American Chemical Society Spring 2020 National Meeting, “The RNA World on Mars,” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (March 2020).
  • Engelhart, A. E., Gordon Research Seminar on the Origins of Life, “From the PI’s Chair: What Goes into Funding a Lab and What It Means for You.” (January 19, 2020).
  • Engelhart, A. E., TEDxBeaconStreet, “Life on Mars: Past, Present, Future?,” Boston, Massachusetts. (November 23, 2019).
  • Engelhart, A. E., “G-Quadruplexes in live cells: When, where, why, how?,” Arrakis Therapeutics, Waltham, Massachusetts. (November 22, 2019).
  • Engelhart, A. E., Mars Extant Life: What’s Next?, “The RNA World on Mars,” Carlsbad, New Mexico. (November 7, 2019).
  • Engelhart, A. E., Astrobiology Science Conference, “The RNA World on Mars,” Bellevue, Washington. (June 27, 2019).
  • Engelhart, A. E., NSF Early Career Investigator WOrkshop, “Readout and Modulation of Biological States using Isothermal Cell-Free Sensors,” Alexandria, Virginia. (May 20, 2019).
  • Engelhart, A. E., Breakthrough Discuss, “Getting to Mars – and Surviving Upon Arrival,” Berkeley, California. (April 2019).
  • “Fluorescent aptamers: rapidly developed sensors for arbitrary analytes of interest.” New Technologies to Detect Water Pollution Symposium. May 21, 2018
  • “Hold the water! Probing nucleic acid hydration with alternative solvents.” Biophysics Seminar Series. April 12, 2018
  • “Functional Behaviors of Pre-RNA.”Carleton College. Northfield, MN. April 16, 2018.
  • “Nucleic Acids Systems Chemistry: From the RNA world to the protocell.” Award Lecture for Stanley Miller Early-Career Research Award. International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life. San Diego, CA. July 20, 2017.
  • “Emergent properties arising from biopolymer-membrane interactions.” Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan. June 14, 2017.
  • “Functional Interactions between Lipid Compartments and Nucleic Acid Catalysts.” School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. June 9, 2017.
  • “Novel Properties Arising from Interactions Between Lipid Compartments and Biopolymers.”Astrobiology Science Conference 2017. Phoenix, AZ. April 25, 2017.
  • “Bioorganic nucleic acids chemistry in primitive and modern biology.” Chemical Biology Colloqium Series. October 24, 2016
  • “Nucleic acids: How do they fold and how can we see them?” GCD Departmental Retreat. September 20, 2016.
  • “Minimal cellular systems: from catalysts in compartments to life as we know it.” Bard College Chemistry Division. Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. April 19, 2016.
  • “Direct RNA imaging in living systems: challenges and opportunities.” Developmental Biology Center Meeting. September 16, 2016
  • “Homeostatic Control of Ribozyme Activity Within Growing Model Protocells.” Gordon Research Seminar 2016. Galveston, TX. January 17, 2016.
  • “What was in that Warm Little Pond? Consequences of Synthesizing Contemporary Biopolymers by Abiotic Chemistry.” Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2015. Chicago, IL. June 18, 2015.
  • “Copying RNA in Primitive Cells: Overcoming Challenges and Discovering Opportunities.” Earth-Life Science Institute Chemistry Workshop, Cambridge, MA. February 27, 2015.
  • “Complex mixtures of prebiotic polymers: Consequences for replication, catalysis, and the emergence of life.” NASA Virtual Seminar – NPP Alumni Talk. May 5, 2014.
  • “Nucleic acids with mixed backbones: fatal or beneficial for an RNA World?” Earth-Life Science Institute Chemistry Workshop, Tokyo, Japan. March 20, 2014.
  • “Embracing the mess: Consequences of product mixtures in model prebiotic reactions.” Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society. Atlanta, GA. November 13, 2013.
  • “Replicating nucleic acids differently.” Harvard Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Cambridge, MA. October 11, 2013.
  • “Product Mixtures in Prebiotic RNA synthesis: Consequences for Functional RNAs.” BEYOND Center at Arizona State University. Tempe, AZ. May 29, 2013.
  • University of Roma Tre. Rome, Italy. February 28, 2013.
  • “Imperfect RNA synthesis via model prebiotic reactions and consequences for Functional RNAs.” Albany: Conversation 18. Albany, NY. June 12, 2013.
  • “Potential Mechanisms of Prebiotic Gene Regulation.” Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society. Raleigh, NC. November 16, 2012.
  • “2′,5′ substitution in catalytic and functional RNAs.” Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2012. Atlanta, GA. April 16, 2012.
  • “Nucleic acids in alternative solvents.” October 18, 2012.
  • “Studies of a potential precursor to RNA.” March 23, 2012.
  • “A synthetically facile reversible linkage for nucleic acid ligation.” Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society. San Juan, Puerto Rico. October 22, 2009.
  • “Nanomolar, selective G-quadruplex ligands from one pot: thermodynamic and structural studies of azacyanines.” Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society. Nashville, TN. November 14, 2008.

Conference Organization:

  • Session Chair, Pacifichem. (December 2021).
  • Co-chair, Gordon Research Seminar, Origins of Life, 2018
  • Section Organizer, AbSciCon 2015
  • Discussion Leader, 2012 Origin of Life Gordon Research Seminar

Professional Activities:

Professional Memberships:

Peer Review Activities (Journals, selected):

  • Angewandte Chemie
  • Biochemistry
  • Biomacromolecules
  • Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters
  • Chemical Society Reviews
  • Encyclopedia of Molecular Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine (Wiley)
  • Entropy
  • International Journal of Molecular Sciences
  • Journal of Molecular Evolution
  • Life
  • Nature Chemical Biology
  • New Journal of Chemistry
  • Nucleic Acids Research
  • Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry
  • Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Scientific Reports
  • Tetrahedron
  • The Science of Nature – Naturwissenschaften

Peer Review Activities (Funding):

  • Georgia Institute of Technology President’s Undergraduate Research Award
  • NASA Exobiology
  • NASA Postdoctoral Program
  • NSF (CAREER, PI-initiated proposals)
  • NIH