Rhju Das started out as a particle physicist and cosmologist and received a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University. But after hearing an inspirational talk about ribosomes—a cell’s protein-making machines—he switched his focus to molecular biophysics. His lab concentrates on creating computer models and experimental tools to predict how biological machines work and to design new ones. Das and his team co-developed the Eterna game with Adrien Treuille’s team at CMU.

Mohini Jangi received a Ph.D. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working in Philip Sharp’s lab. She studies how messenger RNAs are processed to create mature messenger RNAs. The careful regulation of messenger RNA processing is important in normal human development as well as in diseases like cancer.

Naomi Latorraca is studying for a Ph.D. in biophysics at Stanford University. She currently works in Rhiju Das's lab, investigating RNA structure and function. She has a degree in molecular biology and history from the University of Pittsburgh.

Adrien Treuille received a Ph.D. from the University of Washington Computer Graphics Lab. As a postdoc at the University of Washington, he was one of the creators of Foldit, a computer game in which users contribute to science by folding proteins. As assistant professor of computer science and robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, his research continues to address complex scientific challenges through massively multiplayer online games like Foldit (protein folding) and Eterna (RNA engineering). He is currently on sabbatical from CMU at Google X.