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  • Nov
    19

    ChBE Seminar Series: "Opening the black box: cell-free systems for the dissecting challenging biology under controlled conditions" | Carolyn Mills, University of California, Santa Barbara

    McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

    9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering is pleased to present a seminar with guest speaker Carolyn Mills from the University of California, Santa Barbara. The talk is titled:

    "Opening the black box: cell-free systems for the dissecting challenging biology under controlled conditions"

    Some of the most interesting biology is also the hardest to study—proteins from anaerobic microbes are difficult to produce and characterize, while protein assemblies such as biomolecular condensates can disassemble when cells are lysed and cellular context is lost. In both cases, the standard workflow of expressing a protein in a living cell and then isolating it can obscure the very behavior we wish to study. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) offers a different approach: an open, tunable reaction environment in which proteins are made on demand, with direct access to the reaction and control over its conditions. In this talk, I will describe how we are applying CFPS to answer two different biological questions. First, I will describe our work developing anaerobic CFPS to establish gene-to-function relationships in non-model anaerobes, including fluorescent reporters that work without oxygen and miniaturized reactions that enable automated, high-throughput screening in the NSF ExFAB Biofoundry. Second, I will discuss how we are using CFPS to study bacterial protein condensates, comparing their behavior across in vitro buffers, living cells, and CFPS to overcome the limits of current approaches.

    Dr. Carolyn Mills (she/they) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Carolyn’s research at UCSB focuses on molecular engineering of proteins that control spatial organization in biological systems, with applications in plastic remediation and oral vaccine delivery. Carolyn completed her B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2013 at UCSB, and her PhD in Chemical Engineering in 2019 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working in Professor Bradley Olsen’s lab on self-assembly and high-throughput processing of fusion protein materials. During her PhD, Carolyn was supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Carolyn completed her postdoctoral work with Professor Danielle Tullman-Ercek at Northwestern University, researching self-assembling protein nanoreactors. During her time at Northwestern, Carolyn was recognized by the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department’s Distinguished Postdoctoral Service Award. At UCSB, Carolyn is actively involved in collaborations at both the NSF ExFAB Biofoundry and BioPACIFIC Materials Innovation Platform. Carolyn is a recipient of the Gloria Moy Petersen Fellowship in the UCSB Society of Hellman Fellows and the Department of Energy Early Career Program award.

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    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)

  • Nov
    12

    ChBE Seminar Series: Keith Tyo, Northwestern

    McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

    9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Thursday, November 12, 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
    16

    Regular registration for Winter quarter begins

    University Academic Calendar

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    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Monday, November 16, 2026

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

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Nov
    20

    Dissertation, PhD Final Exam, and change of grade forms due to TGS for Fall PhD candidates

    University Academic Calendar

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    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Friday, November 20, 2026

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

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Nov
    25

    Thanksgiving Vacation begins at 6:00 PM (No classes, University offices closed)

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    TIME Wednesday, November 25, 2026

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

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Nov
    30

    Fall Classes Resume

    University Academic Calendar

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    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Monday, November 30, 2026

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

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • 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)

  • Dec
    5

    Fall classes end

    University Academic Calendar

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    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Saturday, December 5, 2026

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

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Dec
    7

    Fall Exams begin

    University Academic Calendar

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    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Monday, December 7, 2026

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

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Dec
    12

    Fall exams end

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    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Saturday, December 12, 2026

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

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  • Dec
    12

    Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Recognition Ceremony

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    4:00 PM Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

    EVENT DETAILSmore info

    TIME Saturday, December 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

    LOCATION Pick-Staiger Concert Hall    map it

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    CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Dec
    24

    Winter Recess Starts - University Closed Through January 1st, 2027

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    TIME Thursday, December 24, 2026

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

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  • Jan
    4

    Winter classes begin

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    TIME Monday, January 4, 2027

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

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