Dr. Richard Roberts

Biography

Rich Roberts graduated with honors and highest distinction in Chemistry from the University of Kansas in 1987. He received a Ph.D. in Biophysical Chemistry in 1993, working in Don Crothers' lab at Yale, where he established the striking stability of RNA-DNA hybrid triplexes and determined specificity in triplex recognition. In 1993, he began postdoctoral work with Lasker Award winner Jack Szostak, designing and developing mRNA display, a system for peptide-protein selection entirely in vitro. In 1997, he co-founded the biotechnology company Phylos Inc. with Jack Szostak and Brian Seed and joined the Chemistry faculty at California Institute of Technology. He joined the faculty at USC in 2006 as an Associate Professor of Chemistry, Biology, and Chemical Engineering. Prof. Roberts' lab uses mRNA display to design new peptides and proteins, exploring fundamental aspects of molecular recognition and strategies for new drug development.

Research Interests