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  • May
    8

    EES Seminar- Mapping Early Epigenetic and Transcriptomic Responses to Heat Stress in Reef-Building Coral Using Novel ChIP-seq Methodology- George Warfel

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    Abstract: Coral reefs face significant challenges under rapid environmental change, driven by human activity throughout the last century. Steadily increasing sea surface temperatures, in conjunction with dramatic marine heat waves, induce an environmental stress response in corals that often leads to bleaching and death. During heat stress, corals must respond rapidly at the cellular level to regulate molecular processes and improve their chances of survival. Previous studies have characterized several transcriptomic shifts associated with the coral heat stress response. However, the upstream epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression remain largely unknown in these organisms. To address this, we focused on chromatin packing, a process that controls the accessibility of genes to transcriptional machinery via chemical modifications of histone proteins. To study these mechanisms, we adapted a Chromatin Immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) protocol for reef-building corals. This technique uses immunoprecipitation to map enrichment of histone post-translational modifications across the genome through sequencing. After verifying the robustness of this protocol in coral tissues, we deployed ChIP-seq during an acute 24-hour heat stress assay to measure early epigenetic responses in the coral Pocillopora damicornis. To confirm whether specific histone modifications resulted in concomitant shifts in gene expression, we performed mRNA-sequencing at identical time points. We identified significant changes in the coral epigenome as early as ~3 hours after initiating heat stress, with differences increasing in magnitude under prolonged exposure. Notably, we observed significant increases in H3K27 acetylation—a marker associated with active transcription—on genes involved in protein misfolding, immune responses, cell signaling, and transcriptional regulation. In parallel, a loss of H3K27 acetylation was observed in genes related to transmembrane transport and metabolic processes. These findings are consistent with the cellular stress responses outlined in previous literature and provide novel mechanistic insight into how corals rapidly regulate their survival at the epigenetic level. To our knowledge, this study represents the first locus-specific epigenetic profiling of corals during heat stress.

    Biosketch: George Warfel is a fourth-year undergraduate at Northwestern University studying Chemical Engineering and Biological Sciences. He works in the Marcelino lab within the Civil and Environmental Engineering department and Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering. His research focuses on probing the molecular mechanisms that drive environmental stress responses in reef-building corals using next-generation sequencing techniques. He was recently awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and plans to continue his studies at a PhD program in bioengineering or molecular sciences.

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    TIME Friday, May 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

    LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Jun
    11

    Undergraduate Cocktail Reception

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    6:30 PM 1026 Davis St Upstairs

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

    LOCATION 1026 Davis St Upstairs   

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Jun
    12

    CEE Graduation and Recognition Ceremony

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    2:00 PM 1702 Chicago Ave

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Friday, June 12, 2026 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

    LOCATION 1702 Chicago Ave   

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Jun
    14

    Spring 2026 Commencement

    University Academic Calendar

    All Day

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Sunday, June 14, 2026

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

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Jun
    15

    Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    9:00 AM

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Monday, June 15, 2026 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

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    CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Jun
    15

    Northwestern Engineering Undergraduate Convocation

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    2:00 PM

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Monday, June 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

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    CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Jun
    19

    Juneteenth - University Closed

    University Academic Calendar

    All Day

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Friday, June 19, 2026

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

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Jul
    3

    Independence Day (observed) - University Closed

    University Academic Calendar

    All Day

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Friday, July 3, 2026

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

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Sep
    16

    CEE Faculty Retreat

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    10:00 AM 1702 Chicago Ave

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

    LOCATION 1702 Chicago Ave   

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Sep
    16

    CEE Department BBQ

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    4:00 PM

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

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    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • 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

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