As a graduate student in David Baker’s lab at the Institute for Protein Design, Ivan Vulovic developed new computational methods and strategies to design protein assemblies that address modern challenges. This work has already been applied successfully to develop several new types of protein nanocages. One of the leading use cases involves integration of viral antigens into these designed protein nanoparticles, a concept which may soon yield a general-purpose and modular vaccine platform. Unlike existing vaccine technologies, designed nanoparticle platforms may be rapidly re-engineered to confront novel biological threats through modular replacement of their surface proteins. The high thermal stability of de-novo proteins also reduces cold-chain requirements – a significant burden in developing nations. Ivan graduated in 2020 and is now an independent software developer in the protein design field.