The Langer Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Excellence supports researchers pursuing bold ideas with the potential to generate meaningful technical and commercial advances. Albert Keung, the 2023 Langer Prize winner, continues to build on that mission through his research and entrepreneurial work.
We recently caught up with Keung to discuss what he's been working on since receiving the prize, recent professional milestones, and what he has learned from taking risks in pursuit of new ideas.
Where are you now?
I’m an associate professor at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and chief scientific officer of DNAli Data Technologies, Inc., also based in Raleigh. I have also begun directing the Biotechnology Program at NC State focused on hands-on high impact education for undergraduate and graduate students.
What have you been working on since receiving the Langer Prize?
We've been working on technologies to create modified DNAs and RNAs, scaling DNA-based storage and computation, and developing a new machine-learning model that predicts complex, non-complementary DNA-DNA interactions.
What professional achievement or milestone are you most proud of?
We recently published two papers in Nature Nanotechnology and Nature Communications detailing a reusable DNA computer and an AI model of DNA-DNA interactions. We also just hired our second employee at DNAli.
How has receiving the Langer Prize influenced your career?
The Langer Prize has accelerated our translational work on DNA-based information and strengthened our ability to hire and develop new talent to drive this technology forward.
What advice would you share with future Langer Fellows?
Taking risks comes with a lot of challenges, but it pays back, at the very least, through a lot of learning and meaning.
What would you like to share with the AIChE community?
We’re still on our journey and excited for the next steps. We owe much of the opportunity to pursue them to the Langer Prize.
Learn more about the Langer Prize and the bold research it supports
Discover what your support makes possible through the AIChE Foundation
