The Goodman Lab
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We are a
brand-new lab
at the
University of Pennsylvania
, starting in
July 2025
, affiliated with the
Department of Cancer Biology
and the
Center for Cellular Immunotherapies
Our focus is
developing high-throughput approaches to understand and engineer the genetic machinery of immune cells
, with the ultimate goal of improving cellular immunotherapies for cancer and other diseases.
Scientific Approaches
We are excited to explore and engineer immune cell biology through:
Protein Engineering
Designing and measuring new receptors, transcription factors, and other proteins to rewire cellular behavior
Functional Genomics
Understanding cellular signaling networks and their regulation
Synthetic Biology
Building and testing new genetic circuits and regulatory elements
Technology Development
A large part of our work is the development of new technologies for immune cell engineering. We are especially focused on the development of
high throughput methods
that allow us to
design and measure many different genetic modifications in parallel
Machine Learning
Developing generative computational models to both predict the function of proteins and genetic circuits and design new ones
Barcoded Clonal Tracking
High-throughput mapping of clonal heterogeneity and responses to designed genetic modifications
Genome Editing
New systems for efficient, specific and accurate delivery of large genetic payloads to immune cells
Principal Investigator
Daniel B. Goodman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology
Investigator, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies
Investigator, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
Dr. Goodman is an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Cancer Biology
and an Investigator at the
Center for Cellular Immunotherapies
and the
Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Ph.D. in Medical Engineering and Physics from the
HST Program
at MIT, where he worked with
George Church
on high-throughput design and measurement of microbial genomes and genetic elements. He then joined UCSF as a Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Fellow, where he trained in the laboratories of
Kole Roybal
and
Alexander Marson
, applying these high-throughput synthetic approaches to T cell engineering and CAR-T receptor design.
Lab Members
Seth Eisenberg, M.S.E.
Research Specialist
Alex Bonadio, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Oren Gozlan, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Isabella Pargiolas
Pharmacology Ph.D. Student
Haley Sax
Immunology Ph.D. Student
Elsa Bechu
Immunology Ph.D. Student
Pedram Bayat
Undergraduate Researcher, Bioengineering
Reva Rasane
Bioengineering Master's Student
Alumni
Aastha Pal, M.S.
Former Bioengineering Ph.D. Rotation Student
Bryant Duong
Former Genomics & Comp Bio Ph.D. Rotation Student
Djuna Day-Booth
Former Research Intern
We are
actively recruiting
creative and motivated scientists at all levels, including
postdocs
graduate students
, and
undergraduates
. As a new lab, we are committed to building an interdisciplinary team that fosters a vibrant, open, and collaborative culture of research excellence.
Research Focus
Our research spans multiple cutting-edge areas:
Interdisciplinary Science
: Working at the intersection of synthetic biology, systems biology, computational biology, and immunology
Therapeutic Development
: Engineering immune cells for therapeutic applications
Machine Learning & Design
: Building machine learning models to design new proteins and DNA regulatory elements to control immune cells
Cell Biology
: Understanding development, clonal dynamics, and signal transduction in immune cells
Technology Development
: Developing new high-throughput measurement and genome-editing technologies for immune cells
Graduate Students
We can recruit from all University of Pennsylvania graduate programs, including
CAMB
Bioengineering
, and
GCB
Undergraduate and Masters Students
We invite highly-motivated Undergraduate and Masters students to inquire about part-time positions in the lab. Please send an email describing your background, scientific interests, and CV
here
Postdoctoral Fellows
For postdoctoral fellowships and all other positions, please send us your CV with a cover letter
here
Mentorship and Career Development
The Goodman Lab is committed to fostering career development in a supportive research environment. Dr. Goodman’s prior trainees have gone on to succeed in PhD and MD programs, join and found biotechnology startups, and pursue academic careers. Our lab culture is built on shared scientific curiosity, a mission to advance medicine through immunology, and building an environment where team members support one another while pursuing scientific excellence in a dynamic and welcoming research community.
Come Join Us!
Selected Publications
2025
SEED-Selection enables high-efficiency enrichment of primary T
cells edited at multiple loci
Chang CR, Vykunta VS, Lee JHJ, Li K, Kochendoerfer C, Muldoon JJ, Wang CH, Mazumder T, Sun Y,
Goodman DB
, Nyberg WA, Liu C, Allain V, Rothrock A, Ye CJ, Marson A, Shy BR, Eyquem J.
Nat. Biotechnol. ()
: 1–11 (2025)
2024
Naturally occurring T cell mutations enhance engineered T
cell therapies
Garcia J*, Daniels J*, Lee Y, Zhu I, Cheng K, Liu Q,
Goodman D
, Burnett C, Law C, Thienpont C, Alavi J, Azimi C, Montgomery G, Roybal KT, Choi J.
Nature 626(7999)
: 626–634 (2024)
2023
Modular pooled discovery of synthetic knockin sequences to
program durable cell therapies
Blaeschke F, Chen YY, Apathy R, Daniel B, Chen AY, Chen PA, Sandor K, Zhang W, Li Z, Mowery CT, Yamamoto TN, Nyberg WA, To A, Yu R, Bueno R, Kim MC, Schmidt R,
Goodman DB
, Feuchtinger T, Eyquem J, Jimmie Ye C, Carnevale J, Satpathy AT, Shifrut E, Roth TL, Marson A.
Cell 186(19)
: 4216–4234.e33 (2023)
2022
Pooled screening of CAR T cells identifies diverse immune
signaling domains for next-generation immunotherapies
Goodman DB
*, Azimi C*, Kearns K, Talbot A, Garakani K, Garcia JM, Patel N, Hwang B, Lee DS, Park E, Vykunta VS, Shy B, Ye CJ, Eyquem J, Marson A, Bluestone J, Roybal KT.
Sci. Transl. Med. 14()
: eabm1463–eabm1463 (2022)
2021
High-throughput functional variant screens via in vivo
production of single-stranded DNA
Schubert MG*,
Goodman DB
*, Wannier TM, Kaur D, Farzadfard F, Lu TK, Shipman SL, Church GM.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 118(18)
: (2021)
2020
Polymer-stabilized Cas9 nanoparticles and modified repair
templates increase genome editing efficiency
Nguyen DN, Roth TL, Li PJ, Chen PA, Apathy R, Mamedov MR, Vo LT, Tobin VR,
Goodman D
, Shifrut E, Bluestone JA, Puck JM, Szoka FC, Marson A.
Nat. Biotechnol. 38(1)
: 44–49 (2020)
2018
Enabling multiplexed testing of pooled donor cells through
whole-genome sequencing
Chan Y, Chan YK,
Goodman DB
, Guo X, Chavez A, Lim ET, Church GM.
Genome Med. 10(1)
: 31 (2018)
2017
Optimizing complex phenotypes through model-guided multiplex
genome engineering
Kuznetsov G*,
Goodman DB
*, Filsinger GT, Landon M, Rohland N, Aach J, Lajoie MJ, Church GM.
Genome Biol. 18(1)
: 100 (2017)
Millstone: software for multiplex microbial genome analysis and
engineering
Goodman DB
*, Kuznetsov G*, Lajoie MJ, Ahern BW, Napolitano MG, Chen KY, Chen C, Church GM.
Genome Biol. 18(1)
: 101 (2017)
2013
Genomically recoded organisms expand biological functions
Lajoie MJ*, Rovner AJ*,
Goodman DB
, Aerni H, Haimovich AD, Kuznetsov G, Mercer JA, Wang HH, Carr PA, Mosberg JA, Rohland N, Schultz PG, Jacobson JM, Rinehart J, Church GM, Isaacs FJ.
Science 342(6156)
: 357–360 (2013)
Composability of regulatory sequences controlling transcription
and translation in Escherichia coli
Kosuri S*,
Goodman DB
*, Cambray G, Mutalik VK, Gao Y, Arkin AP, Endy D, Church GM.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 110(34)
: 14024–14029 (2013)
Causes and effects of N-terminal codon bias in bacterial genes
Goodman DB
, Church GM, Kosuri S.
Science 342(6157)
: 475–479 (2013)
All Publications
2025
SEED-Selection enables high-efficiency enrichment of primary T
cells edited at multiple loci
Chang CR, Vykunta VS, Lee JHJ, Li K, Kochendoerfer C, Muldoon JJ, Wang CH, Mazumder T, Sun Y,
Goodman DB
, Nyberg WA, Liu C, Allain V, Rothrock A, Ye CJ, Marson A, Shy BR, Eyquem J.
Nat. Biotechnol. ()
: 1–11 (2025)
2024
Naturally occurring T cell mutations enhance engineered T
cell therapies
Garcia J*, Daniels J*, Lee Y, Zhu I, Cheng K, Liu Q,
Goodman D
, Burnett C, Law C, Thienpont C, Alavi J, Azimi C, Montgomery G, Roybal KT, Choi J.
Nature 626(7999)
: 626–634 (2024)
2023
Modular pooled discovery of synthetic knockin sequences to
program durable cell therapies
Blaeschke F, Chen YY, Apathy R, Daniel B, Chen AY, Chen PA, Sandor K, Zhang W, Li Z, Mowery CT, Yamamoto TN, Nyberg WA, To A, Yu R, Bueno R, Kim MC, Schmidt R,
Goodman DB
, Feuchtinger T, Eyquem J, Jimmie Ye C, Carnevale J, Satpathy AT, Shifrut E, Roth TL, Marson A.
Cell 186(19)
: 4216–4234.e33 (2023)
Evolutionary constraint and innovation across hundreds of
placental mammals
Christmas MJ, Kaplow IM, Genereux DP, Dong MX, Hughes GM, Li X, Sullivan PF, Hindle AG, Andrews G, Armstrong JC, Bianchi M, Breit AM, Diekhans M, Fanter C, Foley NM,
Goodman DB
, Goodman L, Keough KC, Kirilenko B, Kowalczyk A, Lawless C, Lind AL, Meadows JRS, Moreira LR, Redlich RW, Ryan L, Swofford R, Valenzuela A, Wagner F, Wallerman O, Brown AR, Damas J, Fan K, Gatesy J, Grimshaw J, Johnson J, Kozyrev SV, Lawler AJ, Marinescu VD, Morrill KM, Osmanski A, Paulat NS, Phan BN, Reilly SK, Schäffer DE, Steiner C, Supple MA, Wilder AP, Wirthlin ME, Xue JR, Consortium§} {, Birren BW, Gazal S, Hubley RM, Koepfli K, Marques-Bonet T, Meyer WK, Nweeia M, Sabeti PC, Shapiro B, Smit AFA, Springer MS, Teeling EC, Weng Z, Hiller M, Levesque DL, Lewin HA, Murphy WJ, Navarro A, Paten B, Pollard KS, Ray DA, Ruf I, Ryder OA, Pfenning AR, Lindblad-Toh K, Karlsson EK.
Science 380(6643)
: eabn3943 (2023)
2022
Pooled screening of CAR T cells identifies diverse immune
signaling domains for next-generation immunotherapies
Goodman DB
*, Azimi C*, Kearns K, Talbot A, Garakani K, Garcia JM, Patel N, Hwang B, Lee DS, Park E, Vykunta VS, Shy B, Ye CJ, Eyquem J, Marson A, Bluestone J, Roybal KT.
Sci. Transl. Med. 14()
: eabm1463–eabm1463 (2022)
2021
High-throughput functional variant screens via in vivo
production of single-stranded DNA
Schubert MG*,
Goodman DB
*, Wannier TM, Kaur D, Farzadfard F, Lu TK, Shipman SL, Church GM.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 118(18)
: (2021)
2020
Polymer-stabilized Cas9 nanoparticles and modified repair
templates increase genome editing efficiency
Nguyen DN, Roth TL, Li PJ, Chen PA, Apathy R, Mamedov MR, Vo LT, Tobin VR,
Goodman D
, Shifrut E, Bluestone JA, Puck JM, Szoka FC, Marson A.
Nat. Biotechnol. 38(1)
: 44–49 (2020)
2018
Enabling multiplexed testing of pooled donor cells through
whole-genome sequencing
Chan Y, Chan YK,
Goodman DB
, Guo X, Chavez A, Lim ET, Church GM.
Genome Med. 10(1)
: 31 (2018)
2017
Optimizing complex phenotypes through model-guided multiplex
genome engineering
Kuznetsov G*,
Goodman DB
*, Filsinger GT, Landon M, Rohland N, Aach J, Lajoie MJ, Church GM.
Genome Biol. 18(1)
: 100 (2017)
Millstone: software for multiplex microbial genome analysis and
engineering
Goodman DB
*, Kuznetsov G*, Lajoie MJ, Ahern BW, Napolitano MG, Chen KY, Chen C, Church GM.
Genome Biol. 18(1)
: 101 (2017)
DNAplotlib: Programmable visualization of genetic designs and
associated data
Der BS, Glassey E, Bartley BA, Enghuus C,
Goodman DB
, Gordon DB, Voigt CA, Gorochowski TE.
ACS Synth. Biol. 6(7)
: 1115–1119 (2017)
2016
Engineering and optimising deaminase fusions for genome editing
Yang L, Briggs AW, Chew WL, Mali P, Guell M, Aach J,
Goodman DB
, Cox D, Kan Y, Lesha E, Soundararajan V, Zhang F, Church G.
Nat. Commun. 7()
: 13330 (2016)
Design, synthesis, and testing toward a 57-codon genome
Ostrov N, Landon M, Guell M, Kuznetsov G, Teramoto J, Cervantes N, Zhou M, Singh K, Napolitano MG, Moosburner M, Shrock E, Pruitt BW, Conway N,
Goodman DB
, Gardner CL, Tyree G, Gonzales A, Wanner BL, Norville JE, Lajoie MJ, Church GM.
Science 353(6301)
: 819–822 (2016)
2014
Rational optimization of tolC as a powerful dual selectable
marker for genome engineering
Gregg CJ, Lajoie MJ, Napolitano MG, Mosberg JA,
Goodman DB
, Aach J, Isaacs FJ, Church GM.
Nucleic Acids Res. 42(7)
: 4779–4790 (2014)
2013
Genomically recoded organisms expand biological functions
Lajoie MJ*, Rovner AJ*,
Goodman DB
, Aerni H, Haimovich AD, Kuznetsov G, Mercer JA, Wang HH, Carr PA, Mosberg JA, Rohland N, Schultz PG, Jacobson JM, Rinehart J, Church GM, Isaacs FJ.
Science 342(6156)
: 357–360 (2013)
Composability of regulatory sequences controlling transcription
and translation in Escherichia coli
Kosuri S*,
Goodman DB
*, Cambray G, Mutalik VK, Gao Y, Arkin AP, Endy D, Church GM.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 110(34)
: 14024–14029 (2013)
Causes and effects of N-terminal codon bias in bacterial genes
Goodman DB
, Church GM, Kosuri S.
Science 342(6157)
: 475–479 (2013)
2011
Precise manipulation of chromosomes in vivo enables genome-wide
codon replacement
Isaacs FJ, Carr PA, Wang HH, Lajoie MJ, Sterling B, Kraal L, Tolonen AC, Gianoulis TA,
Goodman DB
, Reppas NB, Emig CJ, Bang D, Hwang SJ, Jewett MC, Jacobson JM, Church GM.
Science 333(6040)
: 348–353 (2011)
2009
Product length, dye choice, and detection chemistry in the
bead-emulsion amplification of millions of single DNA molecules
in parallel
Tiemann-Boege I, Curtis C, Shinde DN,
Goodman DB
, Tavaré S, Arnheim N.
Anal. Chem. 81(14)
: 5770–5776 (2009)
2008
Comparative proteogenomics: combining mass spectrometry and
comparative genomics to analyze multiple genomes
Gupta N, Benhamida J, Bhargava V,
Goodman D
, Kain E, Kerman I, Nguyen N, Ollikainen N, Rodriguez J, Wang J, Lipton MS, Romine M, Bafna V, Smith RD, Pevzner PA.
Genome Res. 18(7)
: 1133–1142 (2008)
Patents
2022
Method for making CAR-T libraries
Goodman DB
, Azimi CS, Roybal KT, Bluestone JA, Marson A.
US Patent App. US2022/014436 (2022)
Compositions and methods for modifying a target nucleic acid
Marson A, Roth TL,
Goodman D
, Nguyen DN, Szoka FC.
US Patent App. 17/312,191 (2022)
Chimeric receptors with diverse co-regulatory sequences
Roybal KT,
Goodman DB
, Azimi C, Marson A, Bluestone JA.
(2022)
2017
Methods for rule-based genome design
Kuznetsov G, Lajoie MJ, Landon MM, Napolitano MG,
Goodman DB
, Gregg CJ, Church GM, Ostrov N.
US Patent 11,361,845 (2017)
goodmand@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Smilow Center for Translational Research
SCTR 8-122
3400 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104