Padilla Lab

Stanford University · Materials Science & Engineering · Sarafan ChEM-H

We’re writing the rules of RNA nanomedicine.

Turning nanoparticle design from trial-and-error into rational engineering — so that medicines reach exactly the cells that need them.

In the Padilla Lab, we work to uncover the structure–activity relationships that govern RNA nanotechnology, integrating rational synthesis, endosome biology, and high-resolution analytical and biophysical techniques in a single interdisciplinary effort. We apply these principles across a range of therapeutic challenges, including immuno-oncology, oral diseases, protein delivery, crossing the blood–brain barrier, and gene editing.

The lab opens at Stanford University in September 2026, and we are recruiting our founding team of Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers. If you want to help build a new lab from day one, see how to join.

Three-dimensional electron-density reconstruction of an mRNA lipid nanoparticle from small-angle X-ray scattering. Adapted from Padilla et al., Nature Biotechnology (2025).

Cryo-TEM of a lipid nanoparticle co-encapsulating mRNA and a small-molecule chemotherapeutic

Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy image of a lipid nanoparticle co-encapsulating mRNA and a small-molecule chemotherapeutic. Adapted from Padilla et al., Advanced Materials (accepted).

Snapshot from an atomistic molecular dynamics simulation of a BEND lipid entering an endosomal bilayer. Adapted from Padilla et al., Nature Communications (2025).

Explore the Lab

Research

Three connected thrusts across cell-specific gene editing, in vivo CAR therapy, and barrier-crossing materials.

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Publications

Peer-reviewed work in Nature Communications, Nature Biotechnology, JACS, and more.

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Team

Meet the founding members of the lab — and the people building it from day one.

Meet the lab →

Join

We’re recruiting founding Ph.D. students and postdocs for September 2026.

How to join →

selected publications

Nat. Commun.

Branched endosomal disruptor (BEND) lipids mediate delivery of mRNA and CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complex for hepatic gene editing and T cell engineering

Marshall S. Padilla, Kaitlin Mrksich, Yiming Wang, Rebecca M. Haley, Jacqueline J. Li, Emily L. Han, Rakan El-Mayta, Emily H. Kim, Sofia Dias, Ningqiang Gong, Sridatta V. Teerdhala, Xuexiang Han, Vivek Chowdhary, Lulu Xue, Zain Siddiqui, Hannah M. Yamagata, Dongyoon Kim, Il-Chul Yoon, James M. Wilson, Ravi Radhakrishnan, and Michael J. Mitchell

Nature Communications, 2025

DOI Bib

@article{padilla2025bend,
  title = {Branched endosomal disruptor (BEND) lipids mediate delivery of mRNA and CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complex for hepatic gene editing and T cell engineering},
  author = {Padilla, Marshall S. and Mrksich, Kaitlin and Wang, Yiming and Haley, Rebecca M. and Li, Jacqueline J. and Han, Emily L. and El-Mayta, Rakan and Kim, Emily H. and Dias, Sofia and Gong, Ningqiang and Teerdhala, Sridatta V. and Han, Xuexiang and Chowdhary, Vivek and Xue, Lulu and Siddiqui, Zain and Yamagata, Hannah M. and Kim, Dongyoon and Yoon, Il-Chul and Wilson, James M. and Radhakrishnan, Ravi and Mitchell, Michael J.},
  journal = {Nature Communications},
  volume = {16},
  pages = {996},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-55137-6}
}

Nat. Biotechnol.

Elucidating lipid nanoparticle properties and structure through biophysical analyses

Marshall S. Padilla, Sarah J. Shepherd, Andrew R. Hanna, Martin Kurnik, Xujun Zhang, Michelle Chen, James Byrnes, Ryann A. Joseph, Hannah M. Yamagata, Adele S. Ricciardi, Kaitlin Mrksich, David Issadore, Kushol Gupta, and Michael J. Mitchell

Nature Biotechnology, 2025

In press

DOI Bib

@article{padilla2025biophysical,
  title = {Elucidating lipid nanoparticle properties and structure through biophysical analyses},
  author = {Padilla, Marshall S. and Shepherd, Sarah J. and Hanna, Andrew R. and Kurnik, Martin and Zhang, Xujun and Chen, Michelle and Byrnes, James and Joseph, Ryann A. and Yamagata, Hannah M. and Ricciardi, Adele S. and Mrksich, Kaitlin and Issadore, David and Gupta, Kushol and Mitchell, Michael J.},
  journal = {Nature Biotechnology},
  note = {In press},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1038/s41587-025-02855-x}
}

Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev.

Breaking the final barrier: evolution of cationic and ionizable lipid structure in lipid nanoparticles to escape the endosome

Kaitlin* Mrksich, Marshall S.* Padilla, and Michael J. Mitchell

Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2024

DOI Bib

@article{mrksich2024endosome,
  title = {Breaking the final barrier: evolution of cationic and ionizable lipid structure in lipid nanoparticles to escape the endosome},
  author = {Mrksich, Kaitlin and Padilla, Marshall S. and Mitchell, Michael J.},
  journal = {Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews},
  volume = {214},
  pages = {115446},
  year = {2024},
  doi = {10.1016/j.addr.2024.115446}
}