Nikhil Goel

Nikhil Goel began their work experience as an Associate Scientist at Celltheon Corporation in June 2012. During their time there, they focused on molecular biology bench work, designing and testing novel DNA and RNA elements to enhance recombinant protein expression and improve workflows. In September 2015, Nikhil was promoted to the role of Chief Technology Officer, where they developed the CELLTHEON SMART™ Platform for large-scale production of recombinant therapeutic proteins. This platform included an engineered CHO cell line, synthetic DNA and RNA elements, and bioproduction processes, resulting in more efficient protein expression with reduced timelines and improved execution efficiencies.

In January 2016, Nikhil co-founded the Nanoengineering and Technology Society at UCSD, where they spearheaded the creation of a student-run research group focused on developing self-cleaning reverse osmosis membranes for desalination. Nikhil led the exploration of additional research projects, including energy-harvesting ZnO nanowires, quantum dot solar cells, and novel high-throughput diagnostics development tools. Nikhil's role at the society ended in June 2018.

In November 2018, Nikhil joined the Salk Institute for Biological Studies as a Research Assistant. During their time there, they developed high-throughput assays to investigate the mechanism of action of novel herpes oncolytic viruses. Nikhil also designed CRISPR-based genome-wide knockout screens to identify new mechanisms of adenovirus oncolytic activity. Nikhil'swork involved developing innovative screening tools, western blot protocols, imaging and image analysis pipelines, and demonstrating their superiority to existing methods. Nikhil's role at the Salk Institute ended in July 2019.

Nikhil Goel completed their Bachelor of Science degree in Nanoengineering with a focus in Electrical Engineering from UC San Diego. Nikhil pursued this degree from 2015 to 2019.