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George Church

Ph.D.

Director, NHGRI Center for Excellence in Genomic Science

Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School

Professor of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard and MIT

Founding Core Faculty and Lead, Wyss Institute, Harvard University

Dr. Church  is Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a founding member of the Wyss Institute, and Director of PersonalGenomes.org, the world’s only open-access information on human genomic, environmental, and trait data. Dr. Church is Director of IARPA & NIH BRAIN Projects, and Director of the National Institutes of Health Center for Excellence in Genomic Science. 

Dr. Church is known for pioneering the fields of personal genomics and synthetic biology. He developed the first methods for the first genome sequence & dramatic cost reductions since then (down from $3 billion to $600), contributing to nearly all “next generation sequencing” methods and companies. His team invented CRISPR for human stem cell genome editing and other synthetic biology technologies and applications – including new ways to create organs for transplantation, gene therapies for aging reversal, and gene drives to eliminate Lyme Disease and Malaria. He has co-authored more than 590 papers and 155 patent publications, and one book, “Regenesis”.

He has received numerous awards including the 2011 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science from the Franklin Institute, the Time 100, and election to the National Academy of Sciences and Engineering.

George Church

Ph.D.

Director, NHGRI Center for Excellence in Genomic Science

Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School

Professor of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard and MIT

Founding Core Faculty and Lead, Wyss Institute, Harvard University

Dr. Church  is Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a founding member of the Wyss Institute, and Director of PersonalGenomes.org, the world’s only open-access information on human genomic, environmental, and trait data. Dr. Church is Director of IARPA & NIH BRAIN Projects, and Director of the National Institutes of Health Center for Excellence in Genomic Science. 

Dr. Church is known for pioneering the fields of personal genomics and synthetic biology. He developed the first methods for the first genome sequence & dramatic cost reductions since then (down from $3 billion to $600), contributing to nearly all “next generation sequencing” methods and companies. His team invented CRISPR for human stem cell genome editing and other synthetic biology technologies and applications – including new ways to create organs for transplantation, gene therapies for aging reversal, and gene drives to eliminate Lyme Disease and Malaria. He has co-authored more than 590 papers and 155 patent publications, and one book, “Regenesis”.

He has received numerous awards including the 2011 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science from the Franklin Institute, the Time 100, and election to the National Academy of Sciences and Engineering.

Recent Publications

Synthetic circuits for cell ratio control

Published On 2026 Mar 19

Journal article

Recent advances in genetic engineering have provided diverse tools for artificially diversifying both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell populations^(1-6). However, achieving precise control over the ratios of multiple cell types within a population derived from a single founder remains a major challenge. Here we introduce a suite of recombinase-mediated genetic devices designed to accurately control population ratios, enabling the distribution of distinct functionalities across multiple cell...


Manufacturing-aware generative models enable petascale synthesis of designed DNA

Published On 2026 Mar 18

Journal article

Generative modeling offers a robust framework for designing functional DNA, RNA and protein sequences. However, physical synthesis of these sequences at scale is prohibitively expensive. We introduce a method to efficiently synthesize DNA designs from generative models. The method integrates machine learning and wet lab procedures, implementing generative sampling algorithms physically through controlled stochastic chemical reactions using DNA oligosynthesis. We synthesize ~10^(16) designs from...