Samagya Banskota | Profiles RNS

Samagya Banskota, PhD

Assistant Professor

Boston University College of Engineering

Biomedical Engineering

PhD, Duke University
BS, Pennsylvania State University

Websites

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Precision genome editing technologies can potentially treat the root causes of several genetic diseases by making precise and targeted edits to the DNA. However, safe and effective delivery methods are needed to translate this potential into a therapeutic reality. My lab’s research interests lie in the intersection of synthetic biology, protein engineering, drug delivery, and gene editing, with a focus on using a cross-disciplinary approach to solving delivery challenges for therapeutics. Towards that goal, we are developing tools that allow us to probe and manipulate macromolecular transport to understand delivery barriers. We integrate that knowledge with synthetic biology and protein engineering to design genetically-encoded and stimuli-responsive delivery systems. By providing solutions that can overcome delivery challenges, we hope to make enabling therapeutics such as genome editors safe, accessible, and affordable.

The other interest of my lab is to develop molecular tools to elucidate the biological function of the genomic dark matter (transposable elements or TEs). TEs comprise nearly half of the human genome but we do not fully understand their roles and functions in many diseases. We are developing genome and epigenome editing technologies that act as molecular recorders to study their biological function at scale. The resulting findings will help us understand the phenotypic consequences of TEs to inspire new therapeutic strategies.

BU Research

Precise Genome Editing to Correct DNA Mutations and Restore Gene Expression in Neurodegenerative Disease
04/01/2025 - 03/31/2028 (PI)
The Hartwell Foundation

Advancing the delivery of genome editors with next-generation non-viral delivery systems
10/15/2024 - 10/30/2027 (PI)
Nvelop Therapeutics

Advancing the delivery of genome editors with next-generation non-viral delivery systems
07/01/2024 - 06/30/2027 (PI)
Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

Developing Novel Therapeutic Strategies Using Precision Genomic Medicine
04/01/2025 - 03/31/2026 (PI)
PhRMA Foundation

Title

Yr	Title	Project-Sub Proj	Pubs

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

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Lu C, Li Y, Cummings JR, Banskota S. Delivery of genome editors with engineered virus-like particles. Methods Enzymol. 2025; 712:475-516. PMID: 40121085

Saha S, Banskota S, Yousefpour P, Schaal JL, Zakharov N, Liu J, Dzuricky M, He Z, Roberts S, Li X, Chilkoti A. Preclinical Development of a Genetically Engineered Albumin-Binding Nanoparticle of Paclitaxel. Small Sci. 2024 Nov; 4(11):2400153. PMID: 40213453; PMCID: PMC11934972; DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202400153;

An M, Raguram A, Du SW, Banskota S, Davis JR, Newby GA, Chen PZ, Palczewski K, Liu DR. Engineered virus-like particles for transient delivery of prime editor ribonucleoprotein complexes in vivo. Nat Biotechnol. 2024 Oct; 42(10):1526-1537. PMID: 38191664; PMCID: PMC11228131; DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-02078-y;

Doman JL, Pandey S, Neugebauer ME, An M, Davis JR, Randolph PB, McElroy A, Gao XD, Raguram A, Richter MF, Everette KA, Banskota S, Tian K, Tao YA, Tolar J, Osborn MJ, Liu DR. Phage-assisted evolution and protein engineering yield compact, efficient prime editors. Cell. 2023 Aug 31; 186(18):3983-4002.e26. PMID: 37657419; PMCID: PMC10482982; DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.039;

Davis JR, Banskota S, Levy JM, Newby GA, Wang X, Anzalone AV, Nelson AT, Chen PJ, Hennes AD, An M, Roh H, Randolph PB, Musunuru K, Liu DR. Efficient prime editing in mouse brain, liver and heart with dual AAVs. Nat Biotechnol. 2024 Feb; 42(2):253-264. PMID: 37142705; PMCID: PMC10869272; DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01758-z;

Neugebauer ME, Hsu A, Arbab M, Krasnow NA, McElroy AN, Pandey S, Doman JL, Huang TP, Raguram A, Banskota S, Newby GA, Tolar J, Osborn MJ, Liu DR. Evolution of an adenine base editor into a small, efficient cytosine base editor with low off-target activity. Nat Biotechnol. 2023 May; 41(5):673-685. PMID: 36357719; PMCID: PMC10188366; DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01533-6;

Davis JR, Wang X, Witte IP, Huang TP, Levy JM, Raguram A, Banskota S, Seidah NG, Musunuru K, Liu DR. Publisher Correction: Efficient in vivo base editing via single adenoassociated viruses with size-optimized genomes encoding compact adenine base editors. Nat Biomed Eng. 2022 Nov; 6(11):1317. PMID: 35931809; PMCID: PMC9652146; DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00934-x;

Schaal JL, Bhattacharyya J, Brownstein J, Strickland KC, Kelly G, Saha S, Milligan J, Banskota S, Li X, Liu W, Kirsch DG, Zalutsky MR, Chilkoti A. Brachytherapy via a depot of biopolymer-bound 131I synergizes with nanoparticle paclitaxel in therapy-resistant pancreatic tumours. Nat Biomed Eng. 2022 Oct; 6(10):1148-1166. PMID: 36261625; PMCID: PMC10389695; DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00949-4;

Davis JR, Wang X, Witte IP, Huang TP, Levy JM, Raguram A, Banskota S, Seidah NG, Musunuru K, Liu DR. Efficient in vivo base editing via single adeno-associated viruses with size-optimized genomes encoding compact adenine base editors. Nat Biomed Eng. 2022 Nov; 6(11):1272-1283. PMID: 35902773; PMCID: PMC9652153; DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00911-4;

Saha S, Banskota S, Liu J, Zakharov N, Dzuricky M, Li X, Fan P, Deshpande S, Spasojevic I, Sharma K, Borgnia MJ, Schaal JL, Raman A, Kim S, Bhattacharyya J, Chilkoti A. Genetically Engineered Nanoparticles of Asymmetric Triblock Polypeptide with a Platinum(IV) Cargo Outperforms a Platinum(II) Analog and Free Drug in a Murine Cancer Model. Nano Lett. 2022 Jul 27; 22(14):5898-5908. PMID: 35839459; PMCID: PMC9912577; DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01850;

Showing 10 of 20 results. Show More

Raguram A, Banskota S, Liu DR. Therapeutic in vivo delivery of gene editing agents. Cell. 2022 Jul 21; 185(15):2806-2827. PMID: 35798006; PMCID: PMC9454337; DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.03.045;

Choi EH, Suh S, Foik AT, Leinonen H, Newby GA, Gao XD, Banskota S, Hoang T, Du SW, Dong Z, Raguram A, Kohli S, Blackshaw S, Lyon DC, Liu DR, Palczewski K. In vivo base editing rescues cone photoreceptors in a mouse model of early-onset inherited retinal degeneration. Nat Commun. 2022 Apr 05; 13(1):1830. PMID: 35383196; PMCID: PMC8983734; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29490-3;

Banskota S, Raguram A, Suh S, Du SW, Davis JR, Choi EH, Wang X, Nielsen SC, Newby GA, Randolph PB, Osborn MJ, Musunuru K, Palczewski K, Liu DR. Engineered virus-like particles for efficient in vivo delivery of therapeutic proteins. Cell. 2022 Jan 20; 185(2):250-265.e16. PMID: 35021064; PMCID: PMC8809250; DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.12.021;

Banskota S, Saha S, Bhattacharya J, Kirmani N, Yousefpour P, Dzuricky M, Zakharov N, Li X, Spasojevic I, Young K, Chilkoti A. Genetically Encoded Stealth Nanoparticles of a Zwitterionic Polypeptide-Paclitaxel Conjugate Have a Wider Therapeutic Window than Abraxane in Multiple Tumor Models. Nano Lett. 2020 Apr 08; 20(4):2396-2409. PMID: 32125864

Saha S, Banskota S, Roberts S, Kirmani N, Chilkoti A. Engineering the Architecture of Elastin-Like Polypeptides: From Unimers to Hierarchical Self-Assembly. Adv Ther (Weinh). 2020 Mar; 3(3). PMID: 34307837; PMCID: PMC8297442; DOI: 10.1002/adtp.201900164;

Banskota S, Yousefpour P, Kirmani N, Li X, Chilkoti A. Long circulating genetically encoded intrinsically disordered zwitterionic polypeptides for drug delivery. Biomaterials. 2019 Feb; 192:475-485. PMID: 30504081

Luginbuhl KM, Schaal JL, Umstead B, Mastria EM, Li X, Banskota S, Arnold S, Feinglos M, D'Alessio D, Chilkoti A. One-week glucose control via zero-order release kinetics from an injectable depot of glucagon-like peptide-1 fused to a thermosensitive biopolymer. Nat Biomed Eng. 2017; 1. PMID: 29062587

Crow J, Atay S, Banskota S, Artale B, Schmitt S, Godwin AK. Exosomes as mediators of platinum resistance in ovarian cancer. Oncotarget. 2017 Feb 14; 8(7):11917-11936. PMID: 28060758

Banskota S, Yousefpour P, Chilkoti A. Cell-Based Biohybrid Drug Delivery Systems: The Best of the Synthetic and Natural Worlds. Macromol Biosci. 2017 Jan; 17(1). PMID: 27925398

Atay S, Banskota S, Crow J, Sethi G, Rink L, Godwin AK. Oncogenic KIT-containing exosomes increase gastrointestinal stromal tumor cell invasion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Jan 14; 111(2):711-6. PMID: 24379393

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 20 publications over 9 distinct years, with a maximum of 8 publications in 2022