We've updated our Privacy Policy to make it clearer how we use your personal data. We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. You can read our Cookie Policy here.

Advertisement
A picture of César de la Fuente, PhD

César de la Fuente, PhD profile page

President Associate Professor

 at University of Pennsylvania


César de la Fuente is a Presidential Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he leads the Machine Biology Group. He is one of the youngest tenured professors in the history of Penn Medicine. After earning his PhD from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and completing postdoctoral research at MIT, de la Fuente focused on using machine learning and AI to drive innovations in biology and medicine. He pioneered the development of the first computer-designed antibiotic with efficacy in animal models, an achievement that marked the start of AI-driven antibiotic discovery. His lab is at the forefront of computational methods that have identified over a million new antimicrobial compounds. Notably, his team was the first to explore the human proteome for antibiotics and to discover therapeutic molecules from extinct organisms, launching the field of molecular de-extinction. These efforts have led to the identification of preclinical candidates like neanderthalin and mammuthusin. De la Fuente’s group has expanded its research by analyzing microbial genomes and metagenomes, identifying nearly one million new antibiotics. These discoveries have been made publicly available to foster global collaboration. Additionally, his lab’s exploration of human microbiomes led to the identification of new antimicrobial agents, including prevotellin-2, from Prevotella copri. Further, his lab is innovating by reprogramming venoms into antimicrobials, developing nanorobots for infection treatment, creating resistance-proof materials, and inventing rapid, low-cost diagnostic devices. A recipient of over 80 national and international awards, de la Fuente has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and named a top innovator by MIT Technology Review. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed papers and serves as an associate editor for several major scientific journals.


Education


The University of British Columbia  


Awards & Certifications


Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)

MIT Technology Review's top innovators for

Inaugural recipient of the Langer Prize

ACS Kavli Emerging Leader in Chemistry

Miklós Bondanszky Award

EMBS Academic Early Career Achievement Award for pioneering development of novel antibiotics

Princess of Girona Prize


Got a Question for César de la Fuente, PhD?


Get in touch using the contact form linked here and we’ll get back to you shortly.



Advertisement