ABOUT
Jacob
Beckham
Assistant Professor
jacob.beckham@mse.gatech.edu
IBB 2360
Student office space – carrel 2218

Dr. Jacob Beckham is an Assistant Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Rice University in 2023 and his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Georgia in 2018. From 2023 to 2026, he was a Schmidt Science Fellow and postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Teaching Interests

Prof. Beckham’s teaching interests span the fundamentals of materials science, nanotechnology, and advanced concepts in biomaterials. He employs active-learning strategies to enhance student engagement and promote deep understanding of course material. His teaching emphasizes both mastery of foundational concepts and their practical application so as to prepare students to tackle emerging challenges in materials chemistry and biotechnology.

Selected publications
  1. Beckham, J. L., Kim, Y. J., Vargas Paniagua, E., Kent, N., Nagao, K., Selvaraji, S., Koehler, F., Malkin, E., Smith, X., Tabet, A., Kang, S., & Anikeeva, P. "Magnetite Nanodiscs Activate Mechanotransductive Calcium Signaling in Diverse Cell Types." J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 2025, 147 (16), 13303-13314.
  2. Beckham, J. L., van Venrooy, A. R., Kim, S., Li, G., Li, B., Duret, G., Arnold, D., Zhao, X., Li, J. T., Santos, A. L., Chaudhry, G., Liu, D., Robinson, J. T., & Tour, J. M. "Molecular Machines Stimulate Intercellular Calcium Waves and Cause Muscle Contraction." Nat. Nanotechnol., 2023, 18, 1051-1059. 
  3. Arnold, D., Li, B., Beckham, J. L., Lopez-Jaime, K., Ayala-Orozco, C., Rui, Y., Chaudhry, G., Seminario, J. M., & Tour, J. M. "Rotation Kinetics of Molecular Motors Influence Their Ability to Kill Cancer Cells and Induce Cellular Calcium Signaling." J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 2025, 147, 26, 22387-22401. 
  4. Nagao, K., Vargas Paniagua, E., Lei, K., Beckham, J. L., Worthington, P., Manthey, M., Ye, M., Koehler, F., Kim, Y. J., Malkin, E., Onoda, M., Kent, N., Michida, S., Crespin Guerra, E., Macfarlane, R. J., & Anikeeva, P. "Adeno-Associated Viruses Escort Nanomaterials to Specific Cells and Tissues." bioRxiv, 2025. Doi: 10.1101/2025.04.04.647267
  5. Santos, A. L., Beckham, J. L., Liu, D., Li, G., van Venrooy, A., Oliver, A., Tegos, G. P., & Tour, J. M. "Visible-Light-Activated Molecular Machines Kill Fungi by Necrosis Following Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Calcium Overload." Adv. Sci., 2023, 10, 10, 2205781.
Education
  • Rice University: Ph.D. in Chemistry, 2023
  • University of Georgia: B.S. in Chemistry, 2018
Research Interests

Prof. Beckham’s research program is rooted in the interface between nanotechnology and bioelectronics. His research focuses on the design of minimally invasive materials that interface with the nervous and immune systems. In particular, his group develops magnetic nanotechnologies for remotely controlling calcium signaling in targeted cell types, with the goal of developing new bioelectronic therapies for cancer, metabolic disease, and neurological disorders.