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Events

• May

  2

  BME Seminar Series: Matthew Tirrell, PhD

  McCormick - Biomedical Engineering Department

  4:00 PM L361, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Matthew Tirrell, PhD
  Dean and Founding Pritzker Director, Institute for Molecular Engineering
  The University of Chicago

  Protein Analogous Micelles: Versatile, Modular Nanoparticles

  Peptides are functional modules of protein macromolecules that can be displayed apart from the whole protein to create biofunctional surfaces and interfaces, or can be re-assembled in new ways to create synthetic mimics of protein structures. Each of these routes is being employed to gain new insight into protein folding and to develop new, functional, bio-molecular materials. That is what we call protein analogous micelles. Examples of work from our laboratory in this area using peptide-lipid or peptide-polycation conjugate molecules (peptide amphiphiles) include: multi-bio-functional surfaces, DNA-binding peptide assemblies, synthetic vaccines, and protein analogous micelles for cancer and cardiovascular therapeutics. One specific example is the micelle we have developed that has a targeting peptide on the exterior of the corona and charged-complexed micro-RNA in the core. This is a theranostic nanoparticle that can home to pathological cardiovascular tissue and deliver a therapeutic molecular locally.

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  TIME Thursday, May 2, 2019 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

  LOCATION L361, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Deborah L Cundiff    deb@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick - Biomedical Engineering Department

• Feb

  26

  BME Seminar Series - Dr. Charlie Ren

  McCormick - Biomedical Engineering Department (BME)

  4:00 PM L361, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILSmore info

  Direct Lung Tissue Morphogenesis via Controlled Cellular and Matrix Interactions

  Abstract

  Effective tissue engineering requires recreating the orchestrated interactions between cells and their surrounding cellular and extracellular matrix environments. Research in our group investigates how these interactions drive lung tissue morphogenesis. This talk will highlight our recent efforts to direct apicobasal polarity and lineage diversification in lung epithelia through controlled presentation of matrix and stromal cues, as well as strategies for shaping tissue geometry using bioprinting. We will also discuss the potential applications of these engineered tissue systems in therapeutic development and delivery.

  Bio

  Dr. Ren is currently an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Ren received his B.S. in Biological Sciences and Ph.D. in Cell Biology, both from Peking University. He completed his post-doctoral training in tissue engineering at Harvard Medical School. Current research in his lab focuses on understanding and engineering lung and vascular tissue morphogenesis, and are funded by grants from the NSF, NIH, DoD, ARPA-H, and private foundations. Dr. Ren received the NSF CAREER Award, Rising Star Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society, Biomedical Engineering New Innovator Award from the Northeast Bioengineering Conference, and was named Dean’s Early Career Fellow by the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He serves on the Young Investigator Committee at the Cell Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Society, and on the Publication Committee at the American Society of Matrix Biology.

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  TIME Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

  LOCATION L361, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT BME Administrator    bme-administrator@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick - Biomedical Engineering Department (BME)