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  • Apr
    16

    ChbE Seminar Series: "Lightning Phases and Surfaces: Intracellular electrochemistry powered by phase transition" |Yifan Dai, Washington University

    McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

    9:30 AM Pancoe Auditorium, Pancoe-NSUHS Life Sciences Pavilion

    EVENT DETAILS

    The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering is pleased to present a seminar by Yifan Dai, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Washington University.

    Dr. Dai will present a seminar titled "Lightning Phases and Surfaces: Intracellular electrochemistry powered by phase transition."

    Phase transitions driven by multivalent biomacromolecules, such as intrinsically disordered proteins, have emerged as a critical organizational strategy in living cells. This transition process results forms membraneless structures known as biomolecular condensates. A key conundrum in condensate research is why such a second phase is necessary for cellular functions, as the same effects of sequestration, exclusion and enrichment generated by a phase separated condensate can also be achieved through the formation of stoichiometric macromolecular assemblies and the phase transition process is thermodynamically costly. In this talk, I will untangle this conundrum by presenting examples that illustrate how the phase transition of biomacromolecules leads to a density transition of the entire solution system (the cellular matrix), governed by electrochemical potential equilibrium. This transition process generates an ion density gradient between phases, encoding an electric potential gradient between phases. I will show how this process regulates cellular electrochemistry. I will further demonstrate how the formation of a second phase delivers electrochemically active surfaces, which can encode interfacial electric field that can power diverse non-enzymatic chemical reactions. These inherent electrochemical functions of biological assemblies reveal a non-enzymatic strategy of living cells on modulating cellular chemical homeostasis, potentially leading to disease progression. Overall, our works present a new paradigm for understanding cellular functioning mechanisms and intracellular electrochemistry.

    Professor Yifan Dai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Center for Biomolecular Condensates at Washington University in St. Louis. Yifan received his B.S. (2017) and Ph.D. (2020) in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, working with Prof. Chung Chiun Liu and Prof. Arnold Caplan on interfacing electrochemistry with synthetic biology. During his undergraduate and doctoral research, he focused on developing sensors and biosensors that have been applied in industrial and medical settings. In 2020, he joined Duke University as a postdoctoral scholar, jointly advised by Prof. Tosh Chilkoti and Prof. Lingchong You, where he worked on designing synthetic protein materials for cellular controls. In 2023, he joined Washington University in St. Louis as an Assistant Professor. His research group works at the interface of physical chemistry and biology, focusing on establishing the mechanisms of intracellular electrochemistry and developing synthetic biomolecules for manipulating cellular organizations. His works have been published in Cell, Chem, Nature Materials, Nature Chemical Biology, Nature Microbiology, Nature Chemistry, Nature Chemical Engineering, Angewandte Chemie, Journal of the American Chemical Society. He was recently recognized by the Forbes 30 under 30 2025.

    Lab website: https://sites.wustl.edu/dailab/

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    TIME Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    LOCATION Pancoe Auditorium, Pancoe-NSUHS Life Sciences Pavilion    map it

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    CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  • Sep
    22

    Welcome & Luncheon for New Full-time Graduate Students

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    11:00 AM Ryan Family Auditorium, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

    LOCATION Ryan Family Auditorium, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Sep
    23

    Fall 2026 Classes Begin

    University Academic Calendar

    All Day

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Wednesday, September 23, 2026

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    CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Oct
    1

    ChBE Seminar Series: Michael Anderson and Sunyang Xu, Student Seminars

    McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

    9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  • Oct
    2

    National Manufacturing Day at Northwestern University

    Northwestern Initiative for Manufacturing Science and Innovation

    8:15 AM 2001 Sheridan Road

    EVENT DETAILSmore info

    TIME Friday, October 2, 2026 at 8:15 AM - 5:00 PM

    LOCATION 2001 Sheridan Road    map it

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    CONTACT Maegen Gregory    maegen.gregory@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR Northwestern Initiative for Manufacturing Science and Innovation

  • Oct
    8

    ChBE Seminar Series: Zhen-Gang Wang, California Institute of Technology

    McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

    9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  • Oct
    22

    Annual Richard S.H. Mah Lecture: Jim Rawlings, University of California, Santa Barbara

    McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

    9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  • Oct
    29

    ChBE Seminar Series: Jose Avalos, Princeton

    McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

    9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  • Nov
    5

    ChBE Seminar Series: Jeff Lopez, Northwestern

    McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

    9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  • Nov
    19

    ChBE Seminar Series: Carolyn Mills, University of California, Santa Barbara

    McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

    9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Thursday, November 19, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  • Dec
    3

    ChBE Seminar Series: Siddarth Krishna, University of Wisconsin - Madison

    McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

    9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Thursday, December 3, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)