Jonathan Dordick

Jonathan S. Dordick is the Howard P. Isermann Professor of Biochemical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He leads a research group that works on developing biochemical technologies.

Background
Prof. Dordick received his B.A. degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Brandeis University and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Biochemical Engineering. In 1987, Dr. Dordick joined the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at the University of Iowa. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1991, to Full Professor in 1994, and served as Department Chair from 1995-1998. In 1998, Prof. Dordick joined the faculty at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering and professor.

Honors

 * Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2004)
 * University of Iowa Faculty Scholars Award
 * Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers (1996)
 * In 1992, Chairman of the Division of Biochemical Technology of the ACS
 * NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award (1989)
 * Inventor/co-inventor on 18 patents.

Research
Profesor Dordick currently leads the Jonathan S. Dordick Research Group, which works in part at the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies. Present and past research has included studies of Biocatalysis in Nonaqueous Media, Combinatorial Biocatalysis, Nanobiotechnology, enzyme technology, molecular bioprocessing. More specifically, they work on the development of enzymatic catalysis under extreme conditions (e.g. high salt concentrations), enzymes in the synthesis and modification of polymeric materials, combinatorial biocatalysis for drug discovery and polymer synthesis, and the generation of biocatalysts and biomimetics with unique activities and selectivities. Dordick has been featured in the news for helping develop the "MetaChip" technology for fast drug screening, and for research on gel nanomaterials that could be used to control the delivery of drugs.