Shukla Receives Major Award to Advance Next Generation Crop Engineering

By Andi Anderson

Diwakar Shukla, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign, has received a five‑year, $1.75 million Pivot Research Award from Simons Foundation International.

The award supports his creation of an advanced, artificial intelligence‑enabled approach to crop engineering that could help plants become more resilient and productive in a changing climate.

Shukla previously received a Pivot Fellowship in 2022 to help him transition from computational chemistry to experimental plant biology. During that period, he was mentored by the late Stephen P. Long, Ikenberry Endowed Chair Emeritus of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences. In the research phase of his new award, he will now be mentored by Plant Biology professor Andrew Leakey, who will guide him in validating engineered plant proteins both in plants and in field conditions.

Shukla expressed gratitude for this support, saying, “I am thankful to my mentors Professor Long and Professor Leakey for their support and guidance. It is challenging to pivot to a new field but their mentorship has provided me the platform to not only acquire new skills but also integrate the ideas from two distinct fields.”

Leakey praised Shukla’s strengths, stating, “Diwakar has skills in computational biology and artificial intelligence, plus a vision for how they can be applied to plant biology, which make him exceptionally well poised to have tremendous impact on our ability to make fundamental discoveries and to engineer improved crops.”

Traditional crop engineering often focuses on modifying genes or introducing genetic material. However, these methods sometimes overlook the fact that proteins are dynamic and constantly moving. Shukla noted, “Current approaches rarely use the dynamic information, nor do they take advantage of recent advances in machine learning.”

His project will combine high‑throughput experiments, computer simulations and AI‑based protein design. The goal is to map plant membrane transport proteins at extremely high resolution and redesign them for better traits such as drought tolerance or nutrient efficiency. “Ultimately, this work could lead to faster, smarter crop engineering, helping us design plants that thrive in changing climates and meet global food demands,” Shukla said.

The Simons Foundation Pivot Fellowship program supports researchers who excel in one field and aim to contribute to another. Shukla holds appointments across several departments and research centers at Illinois, while Leakey serves as director of the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-zoran-zeremski