Faculty Spotlight – February 2024
Dr Ravi Kane
![Kane](https://sites.gatech.edu/aiche/files/2023/10/Kane.jpg)
Professor Kane’s group conducts research at the interface of biotechnology and nanotechnology. The group is designing nanoscale polyvalent therapeutics and working on the molecular engineering of biosurfaces and nanostructures.
A major focus of the group’s research involves the design of polyvalent ligands, i.e., nanoscale scaffolds presenting multiple copies of selected biomolecules. The Kane group has made seminal contributions to a fundamental understanding of polyvalent recognition and has designed polyvalent inhibitors that are effective in vivo. Currently, the group is designing polyvalent molecules that control stem cell fate as well as polyvalent inhibitors of pathogens such as HIV and influenza. The group is also designing nanoscale scaffolds for antigen presentation as part of novel strategies for designing vaccines. The approach could lead to the development of “universal” influenza vaccines as well as effective vaccines targeting RSV and malaria. Other interests of the group involve optogenetics – the development and application of methods that use light to control cell function – as well as the design of enzymes and nanocomposites that target antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Why did you pursue chemical engineering when you were in college?
I enjoyed chemistry, math, and physics in high school and thought that chemical engineering was the engineering discipline that might best combine these interests. I also come from a family of chemical engineers. My father was a chemical engineer and my grandfather was a professor of chemical engineering.
What is your favorite chemical engineering class to teach?
3200/3205 (Transport I/Fluid Mechanics) and 2100
What is your top piece of advice for students?
Become what the late Charlie Munger called a “perpetual learning machine” and benefit from the wisdom and experience of others. Be thoughtful and helpful — “kind is the new cool”.
What kind of research do you do?
We apply the tools of biotechnology and nanotechnology to address problems in biology or medicine. Examples range from the design of broadly protective vaccines to protect against a range of pathogens such as influenza or coronaviruses to designing approaches to treat protein misfolding diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease) and identifying enzymes that target antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
What is a hobby you like to engage in during your free time?
I enjoy hiking (day-hikes). I’ve been lucky enough to be able to go on really fun hikes all over the world — Trolltunga (Norway), a part of the Inca trail (Macchu Picchu, Peru), the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (New Zealand), as well as fun hikes in the Grand Canyon, Zion (Angels Landing), and the Adirondacks/White Mountains. I have been learning to play the guitar, which is fun as well.