Angela, an entrepreneur and James Mason Crafts Professor of Biological Engineering and Materials Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, uses biological materials to solve nonbiological problems. She is a leading scientist in nanotechnology and alters the DNA in benign bacterial viruses to create materials for practical human use by exposing them to a variety of inorganic elements in the periodic table. Her groundbreaking work has resulted in “selfassembled” materials that may be used as components in electronic devices such as batteries, display screens, solar cells and fuel. Belcher received the Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2013 for her pioneering inventions in biological engineering, commitment to mentorship in science and engineering, and improving society through environmental sustainability.