David Sanders is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Purdue University. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Yale College in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. He conducted his Ph.D. research in Biochemistry with Dr. Daniel E. Koshland, Jr., who was then editor of the journal Science, at the University of California at Berkeley.

Sanders was the Democratic candidate for Congress in the 4th District of Indiana in 2004 and 2006. He was also elected by Democrats of the 4th Congressional District of Indiana to serve as a delegate pledged to Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. On January 21st of 2010, Dr. Sanders filed as a candidate for Indiana's 4th Congressional District.

• Participated in the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Biological Weapons Proliferation Prevention Program inspecting the site of biological-weapons development in Siberia.
• He has investigated the transmission of viruses from other animals, especially birds, to humans and has been invited to speak on ethics, biodefense, evolution, gene therapy, vaccination and influenza viruses in public forums including regular interviews on WIBC in Indianapolis.
• Recipient of a National Science Foundation Career Award for his work on an enzyme that is involved in production of the greenhouse gas and potential energy source, methane .
• Holds a U.S, patent on a novel gene-therapy delivery technique.
• Discovered a biochemical reaction that leads to the entry of cancer-causing retroviruses into cells.
• Originated the idea of the "Molecule of the Year" feature in Science.