News & EventsDepartment Events
Events
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Mar27
EVENT DETAILS
lessSpring Break Ends
TIME Monday, March 27, 2023
CONTACT Office of the Registrar nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar
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Mar28
EVENT DETAILS
lessSpring Classes begin 8 a.m. (Northwestern Monday: Classes scheduled to meet on Mondays meet on this day)
TIME Tuesday, March 28, 2023
CONTACT Office of the Registrar nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar
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Mar30
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Chemical and Biological Engineering Department proudly presents a student seminar by Tyler Heyl, titled "Correlative Nanomechanical Mapping and Super-Resolution Microscopy to Investigate Local Properties in Interpenetrating Polymer Networks."
ABSTRACT: Compatibilization in multi-component polymer systems is a strategy to combine immiscible polymers without macrophase separation, which otherwise results in opaque and fragile polymer blends. One strategy to compatibilize polymers is forming interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs). IPNs combine hard and soft materials into tough, elastic networks. Macroscopic structure-property relationships are sought after for these system, but currently methods fail to capture the local detail needed to fully understand mechanical reinforcement and phase separation. To fill this need, we investigated the relationship between local modulus and composition by correlating nanomechanical mapping (NM) with single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) in poly(dimethylsiloxane)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PDMS/PMMA) IPNs. Imaging the same sample areas with NM and SMLM allowed us to measure and relate the modulus (from NM) and composition (from SMLM) on a nanometer-length scale. We discovered domain-to-domain differences in modulus and composition and established that these could be related through the rule of mixtures for modulus. Then, by examining the relationship between domain size and composition, we proposed a phase separation mechanism for PDMS/PMMA IPNs cured simultaneously. Overall, combining these two methods to measure the local mechanical properties and composition results in a level of microstructural understanding that has not been previously achieved.
Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!
*Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.
TIME Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Olivia Wise olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)
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Apr5
EVENT DETAILSmore info
lessRNA modification control protein synthesis in position-specific manners
With more than 150 ribonucleotide modifications in all classes of RNA, the epitranscriptome has become a crucial regulatory layer of gene expression regulation. Although the vast diversity of RNA modifications entails an immense regulatory potential, the physiological function of most RNA modifications remains unknown. The Arango lab works to unravel the molecular mechanisms by which post-transcriptional modifications of RNA regulate mRNA processing, stability, and translation and how this interplay affects cell fate decisions in homeostasis and disease. This seminar will focus on our recent findings that acetylation of cytidines in RNA regulates translation in a position-specific manner and the Arango’s lab ongoing studies to harness the epitranscriptome to control protein synthesis in transcript-specific manners for biotechnological and therapeutic applications.
TIME Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
LOCATION G21, Annenberg Hall map it
CONTACT Will Chaussee william.chaussee@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)
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Apr6
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by Haotian Wang from Rice University as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.
Dr. Wang will present a seminar titled "Electrochemical Approaches to Decarbonizing Fuels and Chemicals.”
ABSTRACT: Electrochemical conversion of atmospheric molecules (CO2, O2, H2O, N2) into fuels and chemicals represents a green and alternative route compared to traditional manufacturing approaches. However, its practice is currently challenged at two systematic levels: the lack of active, selective, and stable electrocatalysts for efficient and reliable chemical bond transformations, and the lack of novel catalytic reactors for practical reaction rates and efficient product separation. In this talk, using CO2 reduction to gas and liquid products and O2 reduction to hydrogen peroxide as representative reactions, I will introduce the rational design of both catalytic materials and reactors towards practical electrochemical manufacturing of fuels and chemicals.
Dr. Haotian Wang is currently a William Marsh Rice Trustee Chair Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. He obtained his PhD degree in the Department of Applied Physics at Stanford University in 2016 and his Bachelor of Science in Physics at the University of Science and Technology of China in 2011. In 2016 he received the Rowland Fellowship and began his independent research career at Harvard as a principal investigator. He was awarded the 2021 Sloan Fellow, 2020 Packard Fellow, 2019 CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar, 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30, highly cited researchers, etc. He serves as the editorial board of Communications Materials. His research group has been focused on developing novel nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications including energy storage, chemical/fuel generation, and water treatment.
Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!
*Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.
TIME Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Olivia Wise olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)
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Apr13
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by Yvonne Chen from UCLA as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.
Dr. Yvonne Chen will present a seminar titled "Engineering next-generation CAR-T cell therapy for cancer.”
ABSTRACT: The adoptive transfer of T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has demonstrated clinical efficacy in the treatment of advanced cancers, with anti-CD19 CAR-T cells achieving up to 90% complete remission among patients with relapsed B-cell malignancies. However, challenges such as antigen escape and immunosuppression limit the long-term efficacy of adoptive T-cell therapy. Here, I will discuss the development of and clinical data on next-generation T cells that can target multiple cancer antigens and resist antigen escape. I will also present recent work on tuning CAR signaling activities via rational protein design to achieve greater in vivo anti-tumor efficacy. This presentation will highlight the potential of synthetic biology in generating novel mammalian cell systems with multifunctional outputs for therapeutic applications.
Dr. Yvonne Chen is an Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UCLA. She is the co-director of the Tumor Immunology program in the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, and a member researcher of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. The Chen Laboratory applies biomolecular engineering techniques to the development of novel mammalian-cell systems for clinical use, and Dr. Chen led the first investigator-sponsored clinical trial on CAR-T cell therapy at UCLA. The Chen Lab’s work has been recognized by the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, the NSF CAREER Award, the Mark Foundation Emerging Leader Award, and the Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old STAR Award, among others. Prior to joining UCLA in 2013, Yvonne was a Junior Fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows. Yvonne received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.
Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!
*Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.
TIME Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Olivia Wise olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)
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Apr20
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present student a seminar by Kosuke Seki as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.
More information will be provided closer to the date.
Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!
*Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.
TIME Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Olivia Wise olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)
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Apr21
EVENT DETAILSmore info
less
Introducing a new joint Executive Education series created by Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and McCormick School of Engineering designed to help law firm leaders, lawyers, and other legal professionals understand and make the most of the computational technologies that are transforming the delivery of legal services.
TIME Friday, April 21, 2023 at 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
LOCATION Levy Mayer Hall map it
CONTACT Daniel W. Linna Jr. daniel.linna@law.northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
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Apr27
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by Xiaodan Gu from University of Southern Mississippi as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.
More information will be shared closer to the date.
Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!
*Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.
TIME Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Olivia Wise olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)
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May4
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by Lynden Archer from Cornell University as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.
More information will be provided closer to the event.
Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!
*Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.
TIME Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Olivia Wise olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)
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May11
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present our annual Hulburt Memorial Lecture with Jean Tom from Bristol Myers Squibb as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.
Jean Tom will present a seminar titled "Innovations in the Development of Small Molecule Pharmaceuticals."
ABSTRACT: The diverse and complex molecules that are now being discovered and developed in today’s pharmaceutical industry require innovation across multiple dimensions. Innovations in synthetic chemistry and chemical engineering are critical to solving the technical challenges to enable and to scale up new molecular transformations. These innovations are coming about through new strategic approaches in process chemistry and different paradigms of collaborations within a company, across the industry, and at the nexus of industry, academia, and/or government. Advances in high throughput automation, modeling and data science have changed the approach for drug development and are
poised to be even more transformative in the future. The goal of process scientists in a chemical process development organization is to design safe, sustainable, and cost-effective routes to deliver high quality drug substance. These scientists will also need to be the drivers and implementers of innovation approaches to accomplish such goals. How we work, how we develop people, and how we attract talent to the chemical sciences will be paramount to the continued success of modern pharmaceutical industry. This talk will tie together these elements to provide a view on the current state of innovation in the development of complex small molecule pharmaceuticals.Jean Tom is the Executive Director of Development Engineering, Chemistry Process Development at Bristol Myers Squibb, where she leads a group of chemical engineers focused on development of chemical processes to synthesize small-molecule drug candidates for new therapeutics. Her team generates process knowledge through lab experimentation, modeling and data visualization, and scale-up activities to enable technology and process transfer to manufacturing. Prior to joining BMS in 2006, Jean spent 19 years at Merck Research Laboratories. During that time, she held positions overseeing process development, pilot plant operations and technology transfer, while contributing to new approaches to talent outreach, engagement, and development. She has had a role in 14 pharmaceutical products from Merck and BMS now in the market.
She received B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering Practice from MIT. After several years in industry, Jean returned to academia and received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Princeton University. Jean is active in the AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) as a Fellow and recipient of the AIChE Industrial Leadership Award (2018), and in the NAE (National Academy of Engineering) to which she was elected to in 2019. She was a founding board member of the Enabling Technologies Consortium (ETC), a consortium of 14 pharmaceutical companies working in the pre-competitive space for technology development. She contributes to the chemical engineering community through her service to ABET, external advisory committees for several departments, AICHE and NAE committees, and through innovative STEM outreach programs.
Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!
TIME Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Olivia Wise olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)
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May18
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by Chinedum Osuji from University of Pennsylvania as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.
More information will be provided closer to the date.
Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!
*Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.
TIME Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Olivia Wise olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)