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Department Events

Events

• Apr

  17

  BTP Seminar Series: Cynthia Collins, Ginkgo Bioworks

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  12:00 PM LR4, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Making biology easier to engineer

  Synthetic biology is the key to sustainable biomanufacturing. At Ginkgo, our mission is to make biology easier to engineer so that customers can achieve the performance indicators that enable economically viable production of their targets. We bring together expert scientists, bespoke software, state-of-the-art instrumentation and automation to tackle pathway optimization through iterative DBTL cycles. At the core of every cell program are the enzymes that catalyze conversion of substrate to product. Ginkgo's end-to-end Enzyme Services can be applied to identify new enzymatic activities and improve enzyme specificity, activity and stability in industrially relevant conditions. In the Bioworks foundries, we assemble these enzymes into complex metabolic pathways, optimizing expression and flux. We use highly automated strain engineering tools and high-throughput analytical capabilities to test thousands of prototypes. We recently added automated adaptive evolution and encapsulation into nanoliter reactor technologies to augment the design space we are able to explore.

  This talk will discuss Ginkgo’s platform and provide some examples of projects and successes to date. I will also discuss my career trajectory and things I’ve learned as I transitioned from a career in academia to a career in industry, and from technical roles to my more recent operational and leadership role.

  Cynthia Collins received her BS from the University of Toronto in Chemistry and Biochemistry and her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from Caltech in the Arnold lab where she focused on the directed evolution of transcription factors involved in microbial quorum sensing and their use in synthetic biology applications. Cynthia then moved to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, where her group applied synthetic biology and protein engineering approaches to engineer communication and collaboration in microbial communities. She earned a NSF Career Award and was named a World Economic Forum Young Scientist. Cynthia joined Ginkgo in 2021, where she led projects in her role as a Principal Organism Engineer. She is currently a Senior Director of Organism Engineering, and leads the Microbial Engineering Operational Excellence team.

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  TIME Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

  LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute    map it

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  CONTACT Will Chaussee    william.chaussee@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Oct

  10

  ChBE Seminar Series: "Polyolefin innovations for clean air and water" | Zhe Qiang, University of Southern Mississippi

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  The Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by Zhe Qiang from the University of Southern Mississippi as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.

  Zhe Qiang will present a seminar titled "Polyolefin innovations for clean air and water."

  ABSTRACT: Securing clean air and water is crucial for fostering a sustainable and prosperous future, where economic equity is closely linked to technological accessibility. This talk will explore how the transformative potential of commodity plastics, among the most cost-effective and widely accessible materials, can be harnessed to drive industrial decarbonization and water remediation. In the first part of the talk, I will address the challenge of process heat in the chemical and materials industries, a significant contributor to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. I will delve into the additive manufacturing of carbon-based Joule heaters derived from polyolefins and their recycled counterparts, demonstrating how the structure and properties of these complex carbons can be precisely tuned by altering filament composition and processing conditions. This approach enables the electrification of heating processes, thus facilitating the decarbonization of chemical and energy production. The second part of the talk will focus on the development of functional mesoporous materials from low-cost thermoplastic elastomers and their efficient application in removing micropollutants from water, particularly per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This presentation will highlight the transformative role of polyolefins in advancing a sustainable future for our planet and society.

  Dr. Zhe Qiang is the SSCT Endowed Chair and Associate Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Polymer Engineering from the University of Akron and subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University. Dr. Qiang's research group focuses on the materials and manufacturing science of polymers and their derived functional materials, with an emphasis on sustainable development for the environment and society, including industrial decarbonization and waste recycling. Since beginning his independent career in 2019, Dr. Qiang has received many awards and honors, including being named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science (2022), the ACS PMSE Early Career Investigator (2023), SAMPE Young Professional of the Year (2023), NSF CAREER Award recipient (2023), and AIChE 35 Under 35 (2023).

  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.

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  TIME Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 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

  17

  ChBE Seminar Series: Niall Mangan, Northwestern faculty seminar

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  More details to come.

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  TIME Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 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

  24

  ChBE Seminar Series: Jeffrey Richards, Faculty Seminar

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  The Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by faculty member Jeffrey Richards as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.

  More details to come.

  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.

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  TIME Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 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

  7

  ChBE Seminar Series: TBA

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  More details to come.

  more less

  TIME Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 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

  14

  ChBE Seminar Series: Lynden Archer, Cornell University

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  The 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 details to come.

  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.

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  TIME Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION LR4, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Nov

  21

  ChBE Seminar Series: Nikhil Chellam and Xiao Kun (Robby) Lu, Student Seminars

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  The Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present student seminars by Nikhil Chellam and Xiao Kun Lu as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.

  More details to come.

  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.

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  TIME Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 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

  ChBE Seminar Series: Linsey Seitz, Faculty Seminar

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM LR4, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  The Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by faculty member Linsey Seitz as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.

  More details to come.

  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.

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  TIME Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 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

  7

  Fall classes end

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILS

  Fall classes end

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  TIME Saturday, December 7, 2024

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

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

• Dec

  14

  Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Recognition Ceremony

  McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  4:00 PM Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

  EVENT DETAILS

  The ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 14 in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive.

  *No tickets required

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  TIME Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

  LOCATION Pick-Staiger Concert Hall    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science