Graduate Student
BS and MS, Chemical Engineering
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
tabassum@mit.edu
Research
My research aims to assess the feasibility of engineering small proteins as alternatives to monoclonal antibody therapeutics. Specifically, I am trying to design non-immunoglobulin proteins that target cytokines and prevent them from binding to their receptors, thus preventing an inflammatory response. My goal is to develop an alternative to immunoglobulin-based treatments for autoimmune disorders using the engineered rcSso7d scaffold protein, as non-immunoglobulin biologics are likely to be more affordable. I am also designing a computational model to better understand the pharmacokinetics of these proteins as it pertains to in vivo applications.
Outside of the lab, I sing with the MIT Women’s chorale and love to bike around the Cambridge/Boston area.