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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250917T003937Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T191757Z
UID:5749-1763553600-1763557200@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Marjan Rafat
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: The Role of Mammary Tissue Damage in Breast Cancer Recurrence and Metastasis \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) recurrence rates remain high despite aggressive therapeutic intervention\, including surgery\, chemotherapy\, immunotherapy\, and radiotherapy. Recent studies suggest that circulating tumor cell recruitment rather than persistent tumor cells in the irradiated surgical bed may enable recurrence. However\, the mechanisms that govern how the breast tissue microenvironment facilitates recurrence and metastasis are not well understood. In this seminar\, our recent efforts in studying the role of irradiated mammary tissue in influencing tumor cell behavior will be presented. Our novel decellularized extracellular matrix hydrogels derived from mammary glands as well as the contribution of stromal cells to tumor cell recruitment will be discussed. Our work reveals that radiation damage of breast tissue promotes a pro-tumor and immunosuppressive microenvironment through alterations in the structure and composition of the extracellular matrix. We also establish that radiation causes metabolic reprogramming in fibroblasts that supports tumor growth. Our studies represent an important step toward elucidating the impact of stromal cells in driving worse outcomes following therapy in patients with TNBC. Future research will utilize these results to engineer improved biomimetic in vitro tumor and tissue microenvironment models to probe the complex physical\, chemical\, and biological cues that regulate TNBC recurrence and metastasis. \n\n Dr. Marjan Rafat is an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Vanderbilt University. She has courtesy appointments in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Oncology and is a member of the Program in Cancer Biology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Breast Cancer Research Program at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Among other recognitions\, she has received the NIH Pathway to Independence award\, the Young Innovator in Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering award\, Breast Cancer Alliance Young Investigator award\, Concern Foundation Conquer Cancer Now award\, METAvivor Early Career Investigator award\, and the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant. She received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT\, a PhD in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University\, and was a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Rafat currently applies chemical and biomedical engineering concepts toward understanding the mechanisms driving breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. Her interdisciplinary laboratory at Vanderbilt examines and models the tumor and tissue microenvironment. She has contributed over 50 peer-reviewed publications\, 7 book chapters\, and over 85 conference presentations and proceedings.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-marjan-rafat/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250917T003743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251202T204317Z
UID:5747-1762948800-1762952400@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Micheál Scanlon
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Electrosynthesis of Conducting Polymer Thin Films at a Polarizable Liquid | Liquid Interface \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: The broken symmetry of a liquid|liquid interface is ideal for the electrosynthesis of dimensionally confined nanomaterials\, i.e.\, thin films. Certain liquid|liquid interfaces are electrochemically active. Tuning the electric field provides a powerful external stimulus to overcome kinetic barriers to interfacial electrosynthesis. For example\, the rate of thin film formation can be controlled by electric field driven motion of ions (such as the oxidant) to the interface. In this presentation\, I will discuss recent breakthroughs in the electrosynthesis of commercially vital conducting polymer thin films\, such as biocompatible poly(3\,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) [JACS\, (2024)\, 146\, 28941; JACS\, (2022)\, 144\, 4853]\, as well as metallic nanoparticle/PEDOT and carbon nanotube/PEDOT nanocomposites\, at a polarized liquid|liquid interface. The concept involves controlling interfacial electron transfer between an aqueous oxidant\, such as Ce4+\, and an organic soluble monomer\, such as EDOT\, at the liquid|liquid interface. Such control is possible by using (i) a 4-electrode electrochemical cell in conjunction with a potentiostat or (ii) an electrodeless approach by chemically establishing a distribution potential. The latter allows ease of scale-up of the thin films. Once formed\, the free-floating thin films can be transferred to any solid surface for ex situ applications\, for example in supercapacitor devices for energy conversion and storage or as biocompatible substrates in cell- and organoid-related studies for tissue engineering. \n\n Professor Micheál D. Scanlon graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from University College Cork (UCC)\, Ireland\, in 2005. He then went on to do a PhD in electrochemistry (2005-2009) at the Tyndall National Institute\, Cork\, Ireland\, under the mentorship of Professor Damien W.M. Arrigan. Following that he carried out postdoctoral research under the supervision of Professor Edmond Magner at the University of Limerick (UL)\, Ireland from 2009 to 2011\, and under the supervision of Professor Hubert H. Girault at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)\, Switzerland\, from 2011 to 2014. He established his own independent research group in 2014 in the Department of Chemistry at UCC upon winning a Science Foundation Ireland Starting Investigator Research Grant. He was awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant in 2016. Subsequently\, he was hired as an Associate Professor B in the Department of Chemical Sciences at UL in 2017 and joined the Bernal Institute at UL as a principal investigator. He has since been promoted to Associate Professor A (2020) and Professor (2022). At UL he has built an activity around electrochemistry at polarizable liquid | liquid interfaces to pioneer new approaches to the (photo)electrocatalysis of energy related reactions\, the electrosynthesis of conducting polymer thin films and their nanocomposites\, and the bioelectrochemistry of the model enzyme Cytochrome c (for more details see https://www.scanlonelectrochemlab.com/). He has published 1 book chapter and over 70 articles to date\, in leading journals such as the Journal of the American Chemical Society\, Chemical Science\, Science Advances\, and Angewandte Chemie International Edition. He is currently the Irish regional representative of the International Society of Electrochemistry.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-micheal-scanlon/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T213000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20251010T185646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T185646Z
UID:5818-1762198200-1762205400@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:2025 AIChE Annual Conference CHME Reception
DESCRIPTION:Join CHME Faculty and Staff at the 2025 AIChE Annual Conference in Boston\, Massachussetts! \nWe’ll be hosting our department reception in Hynes Convention Center\, Room 204. Stop by to network with our faculty and visiting alumni. Light snacks and refreshments will be offered. We look forward to meeting you there!
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/2025-aiche-annual-conference-chme-reception/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251102T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251102T160000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20251010T185615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T185615Z
UID:5816-1762074000-1762099200@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:2025 AIChE Annual Conference Student Recruitment Fair
DESCRIPTION:Join CHME Faculty and Staff at the 2025 AIChE Annual Conference in Boston\, Massachussetts! Ask your questions about our Master’s and PhD programs at our recruiting booth! We’ll be in Hynes Convention Center\, Exhibit Hall A\, Booth #26. We look forward to meeting you there!
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/2025-aiche-annual-conference-student-recruitment-fair/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250917T003526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T232942Z
UID:5745-1761739200-1761742800@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Zhiyong Gu
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Developing Soldering Nanomaterials for Advanced Materials Joining and Bonding \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: Joining and bonding methods are not only necessary\, but also quite often critical in materials forming and electronic device manufacturing processes. Among various joining methods\, soldering is one of the most widely used ones\, due to its electrical conductivity and mechanical reliability\, which makes it widely used in a variety of applications such as electronics\, sensors\, transportation vehicles\, and biomedical devices. In this presentation\, I will show the synthesis and development of soldering-driven nanomaterials\, including both nanoparticles and nanowires\, for a variety of micro/nanoscale bonding and joining applications: (1) low-temperature lead-free nanosolders have been synthesized and applied for Cu-Cu joining and bonding; (2) site-selective core/shell and multi-segment nanowires have been synthesized by a combined electrodeposition and chemical reduction method\, which can be aligned and assembled by external force field such as magnetic field or electrical field\, before subsequent soldering. These nanoparticles and nanowires\, and the associated nano-soldering techniques\, have shown great promise in the assembly and construction of functional nanoelectronics and nanodevices. \n\n Dr. Zhiyong Gu is currently a Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He received his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2004\, and worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University from 2004 to 2006. In September 2006\, he joined UMass Lowell as an Assistant Professor\, was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in September 2012\, and then promoted to Full Professor in September 2017. He served as the Graduate Coordinator and then Associate Chair from 2012 to 2023. His research interests include synthesis of nanoparticles and nanowires\, lead-free nanosolders\, self-assembly\, nanocomposite materials\, and nanoscale joining and packaging for electronics\, sensors\, and biomedical applications. He has published 5 book chapters and over 80 peer-reviewed journal papers\, and contributed to over 200 conference presentations. He received the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award in 2010\, Department Teaching Excellence Award in 2011\, US EPA People\, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Award in 2015\, and Outstanding Mentoring of Undergraduate Students Award in 2018. He is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Nanoparticle Research\, served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Electronic Materials from 2015 to 2020\, and served on the Editorial Advisory Board of several other journals.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-zhiyong-gu/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251022T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251022T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20251003T234228Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T234228Z
UID:5767-1761134400-1761138000@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: William Doherty
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Stimulating Excitable Cells with Optosomes: Development of a Non-viral Cell Derived Vesicle Capable of Stimulating Excitable Cells in Response to Light Stimulus \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: For years\, researchers have studied and developed neuromodulation techniques meant to stimulate and/or inhibit excitable cells both in research and clinical settings. A method to excite cells with light\, termed Optogenetics\, has been researched extensively since its discovery in the early 2000’s. A major constraint of Optogenetics is the expression of the necessary light-gated ion channels most often achieved using a viral vector. While this is not overly concerning in research settings\, clinical applications of optogenetics have been slow to develop as the use of viral vectors in humans presents challenges regarding safety. Additionally\, foreign opsin genes are believed to be a permanent addition to the transfected cells. \nThis dissertation aimed to develop Optosomes; a cell-derived vesicle containing excitatory opsin that couples with excitable cells via Gap-Junctions that conduct the stimulus current from the opsin into the cell. Initial production of Optosomes followed established protocols for producing Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles (GPMVs) in which small volumes of cytoplasm are encapsulated in a piece of the cell’s plasma membrane. The number of GPMVs produced varied with pH\, cell confluency\, and base medium having a noticeable impact on the number of GPMVs generated. Optosome production required the creation of a stable cell line expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) and connexin-43 (Cx43) proteins required to form Gap-Junctions. Two separate transfections in the series generated a ChR2-Cx43 Hek293 cell line capable of producing Optosomes at a high concentration. Finally\, a mathematical model was built to simulate Optosome stimulation of excitable cells and how changes in the size of Optosomes and cells affect the strength of stimulus generated. The result of these simulations and attempts to stimulate neonatal Cardiomyocytes (CM) in vitro confirmed that the majority of Optosomes produced were too small to generate a stimulus capable of exciting CMs. Production of Optosomes with larger diameters or the use of a different strand of ChR2 is needed to increase the number of Optosomes able to stimulate CMs will be needed moving forward. \nThe results of this dissertation provide the foundation for developing Optosomes as an alternative approach to stimulating excitable cells with light. \n\nAfter spending nearly two years working on the development of a new automated Biomanufacturing system in the Love Lab\, Bill was accepted and enrolled in the PhD program for Chemical Engineering. After finding his home for the next 7 years in the Koppes Lab\, he got to work both on forming his thesis and integrating into the community at Northeastern. In pursuing his Ph. D\, he had started to appreciate how applying mathematical modeling techniques to biological systems offers a whole new perspective when trying to understand the complex innerworkings of the human body. It offered a nice juxtaposition to the time spent in lab running hands on experiments that are less about math and academic prowess and more about technique\, adaptability\, and problem solving in real time. Bill has sed the better part of his twenties working in Research and its why he was so eager to pursue a Ph D as he hopes to work his way into scientist positions overseeing research and development projects. Still residing in Boston\, he hopes to find a position in the New England Area after submitting his Dissertation; staying close to family and friends in the area.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-william-doherty/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250917T003230Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T233125Z
UID:5743-1759924800-1759928400@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Vincent G. Harris
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Academic Scholarship vs. Entrepreneurship: Research choices in pursuing a career in academia at Northeastern \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: Success as a faculty member at a Tier 1 research university—fair or unfair—still depends heavily on securing research funding and producing independent\, high-quality scholarship with those resources. Yet\, over the past two decades\, there has been a profound shift in how faculty contributions are evaluated\, with increasing recognition of entrepreneurship as an important dimension of academic impact. \nThis raises an important question: can one pursue academic research that satisfies both the rigorous standards of scholarship and the entrepreneurial expectations of a tenure and promotion (T&P) committee? \nIn this talk\, I reflect on choices made over my three-decade career\, including two decades at Northeastern\, where my research evolved from pure scholarship to one deeply focused on market transition—ultimately leading to a successful spin-out company founded 17 years ago. I will discuss the challenges of bootstrapping a start-up versus pursuing venture capital funding\, and the unique satisfaction that comes from building a company from the ground up. \nMuch of this work was—and continues to be—performed at Northeastern\, with many of the start-up’s employees being former students. The science and engineering behind it sit at the intersection of physics\, chemistry\, materials science\, and RF engineering. \nI will attempt to satisfy the audience’s appetite in S&T by reviewing some of the meaningful contributions made by my students that have been commercialized and impacted society. \n\nVince Harris has built a distinguished career spanning more than 35 years at the intersection of science\, technology\, leadership\, and national security. He has served in diverse roles\, including engineer and physicist; innovator and inventor; mentor and educator; entrepreneur and CEO; Department of Defense branch chief; Department of State policy expert; and global defense teaming lead. \nHis expertise lies in advanced multifunctional materials and RF electronics\, with pioneering contributions to magnetism\, magnetoceramics\, RF device physics\, and novel RF systems. His work has shaped technologies ranging from handheld communication devices to advanced radar platforms\, as well as permanent magnet materials critical to defense and national security. \nIn 2025\, Harris was recognized as the world’s leading researcher in the modern history of ferrites\, ranked first among more than 28\,500 scientists worldwide. His scholarly impact has earned him Fellow status in numerous professional societies\, including AAAS\, APS\, IEEE\, NAI\, the UK Institute of Physics\, and AIIA\, and he has been honored as both a Fulbright Fellow and a Jefferson Science Fellow. His contributions have further been recognized with some of the field’s most prestigious awards\, including the W. David Kingery Award and Edward C. Henry Award from the American Ceramics Society\, the Distinguished Scientist Award from The Minerals\, Metals and Materials Society\, the Lee Hsun Scholar Award and Lectureship from the Chinese Academy of Sciences\, and designation as an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer in RF Applications of Magnetoceramics.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-vincent-g-harris/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251003T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251003T143000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20251003T234307Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T234307Z
UID:5770-1759498200-1759501800@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Chaochao Dun
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Fast-Track Materials Discovery Beyond Equilibrium for Energy and Sustainability \nLocation: Egan Center 306 \nAbstract: The development of stable multicomponent materials remains a central challenge in inorganic chemistry and chemical engineering. In systems containing multiple elements\, positive mixing enthalpy\, size and valence mismatch\, and structural incompatibility tend to drive phase separation\, especially under equilibrium conditions. Traditional doping strategies for tuning electronic structure and defect chemistry have had some success but are fundamentally constrained by narrow solid-solution windows. To address these limitations\, we developed a non-equilibrium flame synthesis technique capable of producing multicomponent solid solutions across alloys\, ceramics\, and metal-organic frameworks. This method enables rapid evaporation\, nucleation\, and growth within milliseconds\, establishing a well-defined thermodynamic and kinetic pathway for kinetically trapping metastable phases. When combined with entropy-driven stabilization\, this approach yields two types of material outcomes\, depending on the configurational entropy of the system: high-entropy systems with five or more elements tend to form stable single-phase solid solutions\, while systems with two to four components undergo controlled in situ exsolution in response to mild enthalpic stimuli. This unified strategy is broadly applicable to thermocatalysis\, electrocatalysis\, and critical mineral recovery\, and offers a robust framework for materials design beyond the limits of equilibrium-based methods. \n\n Dr. Chaochao Dun joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in June 2019 and currently serves as a project staff scientist at the Molecular Foundry. He earned his Ph.D. from the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials in the Physics Department at Wake Forest University in 2017. At Berkeley Lab\, Chaochao is leading three main research thrusts: (I) synthesizing multicomponent materials via non-equilibrium flame-aerosol method for energy conversion and storage; (II) designing sorbents and redox-active clusters for recovering critical minerals; and (III) mechanism-oriented studies that link defect chemistry and kinetics/thermodynamics to performance\, supported by multi-scale characterization.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-chaochao-dun/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250924T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250924T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250915T180617Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T180617Z
UID:5733-1758715200-1758718800@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Elsie Sunderland
DESCRIPTION:Insights into the fate of precursors and novel PFAS using organofluorine mass budgets across diverse media \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse family of highly fluorinated and persistent anthropogenic chemicals first synthesized in the 1940s that are not known to degrade under natural conditions. They are broadly used in modern commerce and are now detectable in the most remote environments on Earth. Manufacturing and industrial use of PFAS has shifted dramatically since the onset of their widespread production as concerns about human and ecological exposures to legacy PFAS have grown. The result has been abundant production of compounds in recent decades that are unknown/poorly identified because they lack available analytical standards needed to quantify their presence. Resulting major uncertainties about their fate include degradation in the environment and metabolism by organisms\, propensity for bioaccumulation\, and even their definition as part of the PFAS family of chemicals. This presentation will provide an overview of recent work toward developing total organofluorine mass budgets for U.S. human serum and liver samples and exposure media including freshwater fish\, agricultural products\, drinking water\, and consumer products. Results will highlight major classes of compounds identified using targeted and non-targeted mass spectrometry in combination with combustion ion chromatography to characterize extractable organofluorine. Modeling techniques that help interpret these data and better identify and attribute sources of PFAS contamination will be reviewed. These data will be used to discuss the implications for future policy mechanisms and consumer interventions such as water filtration for mitigating future exposures. \n\nProfessor Elsie Sunderland is the Fred Kavli Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University\, where she has been a faculty member since 2010\, and leads the Biogeochemistry of Global Contaminants Research Group. Her research aims to better understand how chemical pollutants interact with natural ecosystems and affect life. Her group quantitatively analyzes the entire exposure pathway for environmental pollutants to identify key processes that have a large influence on their accumulation in living organisms. Prior to joining the Harvard Faculty\, she spent five years at the headquarters for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency working on regulatory impact assessments and developing guidance on how to best use environmental models to inform regulatory decisions. Over the past 20 years\, she has collaborated extensively with indigenous groups\, NGOs\, and state\, federal and international government organizations. Her work has informed strategies for managing risks associated with environmental chemical exposures from energy infrastructure such as coal-fired power plants and hydroelectric dams\, and global regulatory efforts for mercury and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Professor Sunderland has mentored >50 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. She is the Editor-in-Chief for the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts and on the Editorial Advisory Board for the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology. Prof. Sunderland received her B.Sc. from McGill University in 1997 and Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University in 2003. Outside of science\, she is interested in dogs (particularly if they have beards)\, running\, being a soccer/sailing mom for her two kids\, and coastal conservation.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-elsie-sunderland/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250917T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250917T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250915T180249Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T180414Z
UID:5729-1758110400-1758114000@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Dennis Leung & Tahnee Dening
DESCRIPTION:Small But Large: Transforming Drug Delivery with Nanoparticle Formulations \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: This seminar will provide an in-depth exploration of drug nanoparticle formulations\, highlighting the principles\, advantages\, and commercial applications of nanotechnology in drug delivery systems. The discovery of resonant acoustic milling as a new technology for the preparation of drug nanoparticles will be presented\, resulting in a highly scalable and translatable process as well as allowing for high-throughput experimentation. The application of resonant acoustic milling results in nanoparticle formulations with improved drug load and enhanced chemical and physical stability\, as well as extending its application to modalities beyond small molecules\, including peptide therapeutics\, and paves the way towards on-demand personalized medicine. Mechanistic insights into the origin of nanoparticle stability are provided through analytical characterization and molecular dynamics simulations. \n\nDr. Dennis Leung is an accomplished scientist with expertise in drug delivery and pharmaceutical sciences\, combining extensive experience in both academia and industry. He earned his PhD in Chemistry from the University of California\, Berkeley\, and currently serves as the Director of the Discovery Pharmaceutics group at Genentech. Over the course of his career\, Dr. Leung has contributed to a di-verse range of research areas\, focusing on leveraging mechanistic insights to develop innovative strategies for overcoming challenges associated with new drug candidates. His work has been instrumental in advancing small molecule and peptide therapies\, with a particular focus on nanoparticle-based drug de-livery systems. Beyond his research achievements\, Dr. Leung is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists and fostering collaborations that bridge the gap between academia and industry. \n\nTahnee Dening is a Principal Scientist in the Discovery Pharmaceutics group within the Synthetic Molecule Pharmaceutical Sciences Department at Genentech in South San Francisco. She received her PhD from the University of South Australia and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Kansas\, prior to joining Genentech. Her research focuses on development and application of enabling formulations for challenging molecules and novel modalities\, such as peptides\, as well as characterizing and understanding peptide behavior in the gastrointestinal environment.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-dennis-leung-tahnee-dening/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250828T211849Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T211849Z
UID:5697-1757505600-1757509200@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Francisco Hung
DESCRIPTION:Molecular simulation of interfacial systems: From mechanical properties of liposomes to crystal nucleation in the bulk\, near surfaces and in confinement \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: I will give an overview of our recent molecular simulation studies of several interfacial systems of interest. In the first part of my talk\, I will describe our classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations we used to investigate the mechanical properties of liposomes. These nanoparticles made of lipids are important in drug delivery due to their biocompatibility and ability to bolster drug stability\, amplify solubility and facilitate controlled release. While the effects of liposome size\, shape and surface chemistry on drug delivery applications have been widely studied\, liposome mechanical properties such as elasticity and rigidity remain significantly underexplored. Results from the Auguste group in our department suggest that liposome elasticity can be optimally tuned to enhance their performance in drug delivery applications. Our collaborative experimental and simulation studies aim at fundamentally understanding how the mechanical properties of the liposomes are affected by the molecular structure of the lipids\, the composition of the liposome\, and the presence of embedded hydrophobic drugs. In the second part of my talk\, I will describe MD simulations performed in collaboration with the Santiso group at North Carolina State University\, which aimed at fundamentally understanding the nucleation of crystals of ionic liquids (ILs) in the bulk and near carbon surfaces. Solidification of ILs is relevant to the synthesis of IL-based nanomaterials with desired optical and magnetic properties. In more recent collaborative efforts\, we will develop computational methods to study crystallization of a mixture of organic molecules in a solvent confined inside nanopores\, which can be used as a strategy to obtain crystals with a desired structure. Understanding how confinement in nm-sized pores affects crystal nucleation of solutes in solution will enable unprecedented control of crystallization processes\, and lead to direct benefits to society in the form of new pharmaceutical drugs and advanced energetic materials for national defense. \n\nFrancisco Hung joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University in Fall 2016\, from his previous position at the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering at Louisiana State University. He has an un-dergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Simón Bolívar in Caracas\, Venezuela\, a PhD in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University\, and had a postdoctoral appointment in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison prior to joining LSU. Honors include the CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation\, the LSU Rainmaker Emerging Scholar in STEM Award\, and the Richard Sioui Award for Excellence in Teaching in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-francisco-hung/
LOCATION:108 SN
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250806T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250806T160000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250728T173616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250728T173616Z
UID:5675-1754481600-1754496000@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Sabrina Marnoto
DESCRIPTION:Name: Sabrina Marnoto \nTitle: Dynamics of Droplet and Soft Particle Systems in Confined Microflows \nDate: 08/06/2025 \nTime: 12:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Sara M. Hashmi (Advisor)\nDr. Petia Vlahovska\nProf. Xiaoyu Tang\nProf. Ambika Bajpayee\nProf. Mansoor Amiji \nLocation: EXP-610A \nAbstract: \nDroplets and soft particles are ubiquitous\, exhibiting behavior in nature through rainfall and in biological materials\, and serving industrial needs such as hopper de-cloggers and cell encapsulators. While droplets and particles appear in natural and industrial settings\, their behavior is especially rich when flowing in confined geometries. In confined flow systems\, droplets and soft particles exhibit unique phenomena that cause passive sorting and shape deformation.  Many researchers utilize this distinctive behavior for applications in understanding the micro-vascular system\, creating lab-on-a-chip platforms\, and manipulating droplets and soft particles. In this thesis\, we exploit droplet and soft particle dynamics in confined flow for two primary objectives: to develop a technique for measuring mechanical properties of individual droplets or particles and to gain a deeper understanding of the passive softness-driven separation of droplet and particle suspensions. \nTo begin\, we focus on developing a continuous fluidic tool that combines droplet and particle formation with mechanical measurement in a single device. Current measurement tools are known to be challenging to use and time-consuming. Specifically\, methods measure a single droplet or particle at a time. Furthermore\, the measurement tools are discontinuous\, requiring the creation of droplets and particles\, followed by a separate measurement of mechanical properties. Discontinuous methods can introduce experimental errors in measurements. Confined geometries\, such as microfluidic devices\, offer the opportunity to measure the properties of multiple droplets and soft particles continuously. High-throughput continuous methods have implications in automation\, material design optimization\, and provide precise quality control. In this thesis\, we explore the mechanical properties of two systems: droplets and soft particles. For droplets\, we develop a robust yet simple fluidic tensiometer for surface tension measurements. The tensiometer accurately measures surface tension for a wide range of emulsion systems and is validated by established techniques. \nOur tensiometer not only measures surface tension\, but also can measure the restoring stress of soft particles. Restoring stress is the stress for a particle to reform back to its initial shape in response to an applied viscous shear. A higher restoring stress is indicative of a stiffer particle. We use polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) as our model for soft particles. PEGDA is biocompatible\, tunable\, and photocurable\, making it a widely used soft particle in fluidic measurements. In fluidic devices\, PEGDA particles are formed by first pinching off PEGDA-filled droplets using oil\, followed by exposure to UV light downstream\, either on or off-chip. Off-chip curing presents complications\, as droplets coalesce as they exit fluidic channels\, causing polydispersion and negating the monodisperse advantage of fluidic techniques.  On-chip exposure is possible with the rise of transparent fluidic device materials. In devices\, many researchers expose particles to a single UV intensity and assume that particles are fully crosslinked as they flow. However\, intensity and particle curing have a direct relationship. The UV curing mechanisms in flow are also not well understood. There are numerous methods for monitoring particle gelation\, but few researchers combine techniques to comprehensively understand UV curing under precise flow conditions and UV control. We utilize our fluidic measurement tool\, combined with a multitude of other analysis techniques\, to fully grasp crosslinking kinetics both in and out of flow. We find that crosslinking particles in flow introduces additional complexities because UV intensity and exposure time depend on velocity and trajectory and can result in nonuniform curing. \nIn confined shear flows\, wall effects cause individual droplets and particles to migrate towards the center of the channel and even deform. Shifting from individual droplet and particle measurements\, we explore both emulsion and particle suspensions in flow. Suspensions of droplets and particles experience additional hydrodynamic forces due to pair-wise interactions with each other. In many computational and theoretical analyses\, researchers assume monodisperse or bidisperse suspensions and simple shear flow for simplicity. However\, real-world systems often deviate from these assumptions\, particularly in polydispersed systems and Poiseuille flow. We employ a scaling behavior analysis on a polydispersed emulsion\, considering both simple shear and Poiseuille phenomena. We investigate the validity of the scaling theory applied to varied shear rates\, volume fractions\, and viscosity ratios. \nMulticomponent suspension flows through confined spaces are ubiquitous in nature. One of the most commonly investigated confined particle suspension systems is blood. In blood vessels in the microcirculation\, red blood cells migrate towards the center of the channel\, creating a cell-free layer\, and other particulates\, such as white blood cells\, platelets\, and leukocytes\, partition towards the walls of the channels. Among the particulates circulating with red blood cells are drug delivery vehicles. Understanding carrier migration in blood vessels is crucial for improving drug efficacy and reducing adverse side effects. Both particle and flow properties control carrier migration. We provide a comprehensive review explaining how various properties affect particle migration in flow. Further\, we suggest a method for quantifying said migration. \nThe thesis explores the individual and collective behavior of both particles and droplets in confined flow. By developing novel measurement tools and gaining a better fundamental understanding of droplet and particle behavior in confined flows\, we present opportunities for broader industrial and academic applications\, including automation\, cell mechanics\, and more.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-sabrina-marnoto/
LOCATION:610-A EXP\, 360 Huntington Ave\, 610-A EXP\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250724T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250724T120000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250723T213250Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250723T213250Z
UID:5672-1753351200-1753358400@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE MS Thesis Defense: Julie Penn
DESCRIPTION:Name: Julie Penn \nTitle: Development\, Optimization\, and Evaluation of SWIR Emitting QD Imaging Tools \nDate: 07/24/2025 \nTime: 10:00:00 AM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Allison Dennis (Advisor)\nProf. Bryan James\nProf. Ryan Koppes\nProf. Bryan Spring \nLocation: Shillman Hall 315 \nAbstract:\nShelf-stable fluorescent imaging references are commercially available. However\, they are only available in the visible range (380-700 nm) and the near infrared I range (NIR I\, 700-900 nm). These references are not available within the shortwave infrared range (SWIR\, 1000-1700 nm). SWIR emitting semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have a tunable emission spectrum and are used in a range of SWIR imaging applications. In addition to their adjustable spectrum\, QDs\, particularly lead sulfide/cadmium sulfide (PbS/CdS) core/shell QDs\, are incredibly photostable. This quality makes them optimal fluorophores for SWIR fluorescent imaging references. When the PbS/CdS QDs are embedded in epoxy\, the QDs are contained in a permanent\, shelf stable\, oxygen-free environment. Thus\, a SWIR fluorescent imaging sample is created. By changing the form factor of these objects\, researchers can investigate SWIR imaging at depth\, multiplexed imaging for spectral demixing using a baseline fluorescence intensity measurement. The performance of each tool was evaluated based on the photostability\, the florescence intensity at depth\, and the emission spectrum of the QDs contained within each type of florescence imaging tool. \n\nJulie Penn is currently a 2nd year master’s student studying chemical engineering at Northeastern University. She is studying under the guidance of Dr. Allison Dennis\, and her thesis is on Development\, Optimization\, and Evaluation of SWIR Emitting QD Imaging Tools. Outside of the laboratory\, Julie is a proud and active member of the Boston section of Society of Women Engineers. In 2019 Julie graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology with a degree in mechanical Engineering with a concentration in chemistry and began working at 908 Devices\, a mass spectrometry manufacturer based in Boston\, MA. As a member of the Customer Experience Team\, Julie supported the R&D\, manufacturing\, quality\, and sales departments\, but most importantly the customers by repairing internal and customer-returned mass spectrometers\, answering technical support phone calls\, and traveling around the world to train users on their equipment. She was awarded the 2022 Customer Service Person of the Year for her outstanding support of the 908 Devices sales team. Upon the completion of her degree\, Julie is looking to rejoin the workforce as a materials engineer. She is very excited to start this next journey of her career.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/che-ms-thesis-defense-julie-penn/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250721T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250721T160000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250714T180746Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250714T180746Z
UID:5654-1753106400-1753113600@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: William Doherty
DESCRIPTION:Name: William Doherty \nTitle: Stimulating Excitable Cells with Optosomes: Development of a Non-viral Cell Derived Vesicle Capable of Stimulating Excitable Cells in Response to Light Stimulus \nDate: 07/21/2025 \nTime: 2:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Ryan Koppes (Advisor)\nProf. Abigail Koppes\nProf. Benjamin Woolston\nProf. Rebecca Shansky \nLocation: Shillman Hall 420 \nAbstract: \nFor years\, researchers have studied and developed neuromodulation techniques meant to stimulate and/or inhibit excitable cells both in research and clinical settings. A method to excite cells with light\, termed Optogenetics\, has been researched extensively since its discovery in the early 2000’s. A major constraint of Optogenetics is the expression of the necessary light-gated ion channels most often achieved using a viral vector. While this is not overly concerning in research settings\, clinical applications of optogenetics have been slow to develop as the use of viral vectors in humans presents challenges regarding safety. Additionally\, foreign opsin genes are believed to be a permanent addition to the transfected cells. \nThis dissertation aimed to develop Optosomes; a cell-derived vesicle containing excitatory opsin that couples with excitable cells via Gap-Junctions that conduct the stimulus current from the opsin into the cell. Initial production of Optosomes followed established protocols for producing Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles (GPMVs) in which small volumes of cytoplasm are encapsulated in a piece of the cell’s plasma membrane. The number of GPMVs produced varied with pH\, cell confluency\, and base medium having a noticeable impact on the number of GPMVs generated. Optosome production required the creation of a stable cell line expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) and connexin-43 (Cx43) proteins required to form Gap-Junctions. Two separate transfections in the series generated a ChR2-Cx43 Hek293 cell line capable of producing Optosomes at a high concentration. Finally\, a mathematical model was built to simulate Optosome stimulation of excitable cells and how changes in the size of Optosomes and cells affect the strength of stimulus generated. The result of these simulations and attempts to stimulate neonatal Cardiomyocytes (CM) in vitro confirmed that the majority of Optosomes produced were too small to generate a stimulus capable of exciting CMs. Production of Optosomes with larger diameters or the use of a different strand of ChR2 is needed to increase the number of Optosomes able to stimulate CMs will be needed moving forward. \nThe results of this dissertation provide the foundation for developing Optosomes as an alternative approach to stimulating excitable cells with light. \n\nWilliam Doherty Northeastern University-Department of Chemical Engineering After spending nearly two years working on the development of a new automated Biomanufacturing system in the Love Lab\, Bill was accepted and enrolled in the PhD program for Chemical Engineering. After finding his home for the next 7 years in the Koppes Lab\, he got to work both on forming his thesis and integrating into the community at Northeastern. In pursuing his Ph. D\, he had started to appreciate how applying mathematical modeling techniques to biological systems offers a whole new perspective when trying to understand the complex innerworkings of the human body. It offered a nice juxtaposition to the time spent in lab running hands on experiments that are less about math and academic prowess and more about technique\, adaptability\, and problem solving in real time. Bill has sed the better part of his twenties working in Research and its why he was so eager to pursue a Ph D as he hopes to work his way into scientist positions overseeing research and development projects. Still residing in Boston\, he hopes to find a position in the New England Area after submitting his Dissertation; staying close to family and friends in the area.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-william-doherty/
LOCATION:420 Shillman Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
GEO:42.3396156;-71.0886534
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=420 Shillman Hall 360 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=360 Huntington Ave:geo:-71.0886534,42.3396156
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250717T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250717T140000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250714T180901Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250716T193549Z
UID:5657-1752753600-1752760800@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Yang Hu
DESCRIPTION:Name: Yang Hu \nTitle: Sex-Based Difference in Schwann Cell Migration in Response to Topography\, Laminin-derived Peptide and Transforming Growth Factor-β1 as in vitro Models for Peripheral Nerve Repair \nDate: 07/17/2025 \nTime: 12:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Rebecca Willits (Advisor)\nProf. Matthew Becker\nProf. Ryan Koppes\nProf. Eno Ebong \nLocation: 220 Shillman \nAbstract:\nPeripheral nerve repair highly relies on Schwann cell migration within the nerve gap. Repairing a critical-sized nerve gap (~3-4 cm in humans) remains a significant challenge for satisfactory recover outcomes. Facilitating Schwann cell migration for accelerating nerve regeneration has attracted great research interest. This dissertation explores the individual and synergistic effects of different types of external cues: topography\, uniform and gradient of biochemical cues. \nFirst\, this dissertation found that female cells moved faster\, while male cells were more persistent on glass surfaces\, indicating an innate sex-based difference in motility responses. This difference was additionally regulated in both a sex- and diameter-dependent manner by three distinct fiber diameter (0.9\, 1.2 and 1.8 µm) provided by Dr. Becker’s lab (Duke University). The smaller fibers attenuated innate motility differences\, while they reappeared on the largest fiber. \nThe second part of this dissertation harnessed the finding that 1.2 µm fibers did not induce migration differences\, with YIGSR\, a peptide derived from laminin β1 chain\, which can facilitate Schwann cell proliferation and directionally guide cell migration. YIGSR-tethered fiber scaffolds in different profiles were characterized and provided (Dr. Becker’s lab) for conducting migration studies. We found that cells responded in both sex- and concentration-dependent manner to uniform concentrations. Directional cell migration only occurred at specific locations along the steepest gradient\, indicating a competing effect of contact guidance and tethered YIGSR. \nThe third part of this dissertation discovered the role of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in defined profiles on Schwann cell migration. We found that uniform TGF-β1 concentrations enhanced Schwann cell migration in a concentration-dependent manner\, while no directional migration was observed under TGF-β1 gradients. Understanding how TGF-β1 modulates Schwann cell migration provides insights for developing therapeutic strategies and biomaterials that seek to promote nerve regeneration.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-yang-hu/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250620T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250620T123000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250611T210756Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250611T210756Z
UID:5631-1750415400-1750422600@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Yujia Wang
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nYujia Wang \nTitle:\nMachine Learning and Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy for Controlled Synthesis and Novel Phenomena Discovery in Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide \nDate:\n06/20/2024 \nTime:\n10:30:00 AM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Swastik Kar (Advisor)\nProf. Joshua Gallaway\nProf. Steve Lustig\nProf. Francisco Hung \nLocation:\nBurlington Campus: Building 5\, Room C \nAbstract: \nTwo-dimensional (2D) materials\, particularly transition metal dichalcogenides like molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)\, represent a promising platform for next-generation semiconductor technologies due to their atomic-thin structure\, tunable electronic properties\, and unique optical characteristics. However\, realizing their full potential is hindered by two important challenges: the time-consuming\, trial-and-error nature of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis optimization\, and the difficulty in accurately characterizing spatially inhomogeneous material properties. In this dissertation defense\, I will present detailed investigations into the development of new methods for addressing these challenges through the integration of machine learning-guided synthesis and high-resolution spatially resolved optical characterization techniques. \nFirst\, I developed an experimental “hyperspace” design system that serves as an interface that adapts synthesis parameters to machine learning frameworks. The machine learning algorithms were developed through collaborations with Prof. Xiaoning (Sarah) Jin’s group (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering). The algorithms efficiently identify pathways towards synthesis optimization in complex multidimensional experimental hyperspaces\, accelerating the synthesis towards the highest sample quality. Our results showed up to 85% reduction (two months instead of 1 year) in trial-and-error efforts\, and rapid optimization of the ideal synthesis conditions. \nSecond\, I established a spatially resolved optical spectroscopy platform for characterizing the as-grown 2D materials by combining Raman and photoluminescence (PL) mapping at micrometer resolution. Going much beyond traditional mapping techniques\, this technique enables simultaneous extraction of strain\, doping\, and excitonic properties across individual flakes\, revealing growth-intrinsic mechanisms for controlled engineering of electronic and optical properties. Through systematically varied CVD conditions\, I demonstrated deterministic control over both orbital bandgaps and spin-orbit coupling\, achieving the first purely optical experimental observation of strain-tunable spin-orbit splitting in as-grown monolayer MoS2. \nFinally\, I applied this integrated platform to explore iron-doped MoS2 – to further elucidate the role of doping in 2D semiconductors. This work established valuable synthesis protocols and identified distinctive optical signatures that serve as indicators of dopant incorporation in 2D materials. \nMy research demonstrates how coupling experimental design and scanning-based characterization approaches with advanced computational methods can substantially accelerate materials discovery and establish new pathways for deterministic property engineering in 2D semiconductors\, with implications extending to quantum technologies\, optoelectronics\, and spintronic applications.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-yujia-wang/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250609T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250609T160000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250604T223743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250604T223743Z
UID:5611-1749477600-1749484800@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Matthew Fernez
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nMatthew Fernez \nTitle:\nDevelopment of a Hydrogen Sulfide Biosensor and Interrogation the Role of Sulfide on Mucus Barriers \nDate:\n06/05/2024 \nTime:\n10:00:00 AM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Benjamin Woolston (Advisor)\nProf. Rebecca Carrier (Co-Advisor)\nProf. Erel Levine\nDr. Jodie Ouahed \nLocation:\nShillman 420 \nAbstract:\nInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a gastrointestinal condition that is estimated to afflict more than 1% of adults\, with prevalence increasing over time. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)\, produced by the gut microbiota and partially by the host epithelium\, has long been associated with IBD through metagenomic evidence of increased populations of sulfate producing bacteria in patients. However\, the effects of sulfide are disputed and the mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis remain unresolved. Sulfide literature suggests both a therapeutic and restorative effect at low levels yet also implies higher levels may be toxic\, resulting in disruption of mucus barriers and promotion of an inflammatory cascade. The mucus barrier is comprised of a mucin network crosslinked by disulfide bonds\, along with myriad heterogenous components\, which provides protection for the cell lining from the microbiota and toxic byproducts. We hypothesize that in excess\, sulfide reduces disulfide bonds yielding a weaker\, more permeable barrier that is susceptible to microbial penetration. However\, studying sulfide in the gut microenvironment is technically challenging due to its high volatility and reactivity\, making accurate GI measurements challenging in vivo. Here\, we seek to address measurement limitations through the development of a sulfide biosensor and evaluate the impacts of sulfide on mucus barriers. \nThis thesis has three core elements: optimization of a functional sulfide biosensor\, exploration of implementation in a mesofluidic gut-on-chip\, and direct evaluation of sulfide on mucus barrier properties. To construct a transcriptional sulfide biosensor\, a polysulfide sensitive repressor\, SqrR\, from Rhodobacter capsulatus was codon harmonized and inserted into a plasmid with a fluorescent reporter module driven by the SqrR affiliated promoter pSqr. To convert sulfide into polysufides that de-activate SqrR\, we coupled the sensing plasmid with an enzymatic plasmid bearing codon harmonized Sqr from R. capsulatus. Initial construction failed to generate a response to sulfide\, but an 18-fold dynamic range up to 750 M in aerobic conditions was produced through pSqr engineering and SqrR tagging and titration. Sqr activity and products were characterized\, but failed to generate a response under anaerobic conditions likely due to electron transport chain dependent quinone incompatibility. Given that the gut microenvironment is largely anaerobic\, sensor response under anaerobic conditions was recovered through isolation of a novel Sqr homolog from Wolinella succinogenes\, an organism that couples sulfide oxidation to reduction of fumarate\, a compound abundant in the gut. We demonstrate sensor activity under anoxic conditions using this enzyme with both fumarate and nitrate\, a marker of the inflamed gut. The group has previously developed a gut on chip PDMS device with vertical orientation for cross sectional imaging of the mucus barrier of primary intestinal epithelium under static conditions. The gas permeability of PDMS encouraged us to attempt gel wall modifications to permit consistent delivery of sulfide via flow. While modifications of the gut chip to operate under continuous flow culture were unsuccessful\, a simple demonstration of a partial response to sulfide by the biosensor on chip is presented in the absence of epithelium\, illustrating promise for implementation as a diagnostic in the future. Finally\, the impacts of sulfide on mucus were elucidated in the third part of the thesis. Using harvested porcine intestinal mucus (PIM)\, we demonstrate that diffusivity of polystyrene nanoparticles in PIM increases 1.6 fold when treated with 1 mM sulfide. Sulfide also impacted microbial velocity and motion type\, yielding a statistically significant increase of average velocity and proportion of microbes exhibiting penetration like behavior. While structural changes were not observed through lectin staining of PIM\, the thesis culminates in a simple demonstration of deleterious effects of sulfide on a living mucus barrier in our gut on chip system. Mucus thickness was reduced and resulted in an increased proportion of nanoparticles that penetrated the mucus barrier. Taken together\, this work produced a novel sulfide biosensor that functions under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and characterized the deleterious effects of sulfide on barrier permeability suspected by the underlying hypothesis of reduction of disulfide bonds in mucus structure. \n\n \nMatt Fernez is currently a sixth year PhD student in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in May\, 2019 at University of Massachusetts Amherst where he also produced an honors thesis. In June of this year\, he will defend his PhD Thesis to complete the doctoral degree. His research is co-advised and focuses on synthetic biology and tissue engineering\, with the focus of studying mucus barrier properties utilizing genetically engineered bacteria. His dissertation is titled “Development of a Hydrogen Sulfide Biosensor and Interrogation the Role of Sulfide on Mucus Barriers”. He has contributed towards authorship on 4 publications\, including one review paper and three technical papers. His first author sulfide biosensor manuscript was recently published in ACS Synthetic Biology in Spring\, 2025. His research has been presented at 4 conferences\, culminating in an oral presentation at the American Institute of Chemical Engineering international conference in October\, 2024. He has been a mentor to several undergraduate students who have produced research posters at Northeastern’s undergraduate research conference. He also assisted in building the foundation of the now well-established Woolston Lab\, being one of the first two students and serving as the Lab Safety Officer. Outside of research\, Matt has many recreational hobbies including poker\, hiking\, travelling\, and fantasy sports. He is the president and founder of a local poker club in the greater Boston area. He also enjoys spending time with family and writing poetry.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-matthew-fernez/
LOCATION:420 Shillman Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
GEO:42.3396156;-71.0886534
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=420 Shillman Hall 360 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=360 Huntington Ave:geo:-71.0886534,42.3396156
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250605T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250605T120000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250604T223853Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250604T223853Z
UID:5616-1749117600-1749124800@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Victoria Duback
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nVictoria Duback \nTitle:\nPharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Assessment of a T Cell-Targeted Vector for In Vivo Car-T Cell Therapy \nDate:\n06/05/2024 \nTime:\n10:00:00 AM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Abigail Koppes (Advisor)\nProf. Ryan Koppes\nProf. Debra Auguste\nDr. Kutlu Elpek \nLocation:\nKariotis 309 \nAbstract:\nChimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has demonstrated transformative efficacy in the treatment of B-cell malignancies\, particularly through autologous approaches. However\, the clinical utility of autologous CAR-T therapy is limited by complex manufacturing processes\, patient-specific variability\, and the requirement for lymphodepletion\, which can delay or prevent treatment for critically ill patients. In vivo-generated CAR-T cell therapy offers a promising alternative by enabling the direct genetic engineering of T cells within the patient\, potentially streamlining treatment and expanding access. \nThis dissertation focuses on the preclinical characterization of a CD8-targeted lentiviral fusosome designed to deliver a CD19-specific CAR transgene in vivo. The overarching objective of this work is to understand the relationship between the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of in vivo CAR-T cell generation to inform the development and clinical translation of nextgeneration gene therapy products. In vitro experiments demonstrated efficient and selective transduction of both resting and pre-activated CD8⁺ T cells\, with enhanced CAR expression and function in pre-activated populations. A humanized mouse model was optimized to evaluate vector performance in vivo\, incorporating engraftment of human PBMCs and CD19⁺ tumor cells to assess efficacy\, biodistribution\, and dose-response relationships. \nPharmacokinetic studies revealed rapid clearance of the vector in naïve mice\, while the presence of target T cells significantly prolonged vector persistence\, likely through cellular binding and internalization. Dose-dependent CAR-T cell generation and tumor suppression were observed\, with no signs of fusosome-related toxicity. Importantly\, donor-to-donor variability was noted\, emphasizing the need for robust model systems in predicting clinical outcomes. To further enhance the fusosome potency\, novel constructs incorporating CD3-mediated activation signals were engineered\, resulting in improved gene integration and functional CAR-T activity in vitro. Together\, these studies provide critical insight into the PK/PD relationship of in vivo CAR-T cell therapies and establish a strong preclinical foundation for the continued development of clinically viable\, targeted lentiviral vectors for the treatment of B cell malignancies. \n\n \nVictoria (Tori) Duback is a third-year doctoral candidate in the Chemical Engineering department at Northeastern University\, pursuing a Ph.D. in Engineering with a focus on viral vector gene delivery. She is expected to graduate in June 2025. Her research focuses on characterizing targeted gene delivery systems\, and her thesis examines the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a T-cell-targeted vector for the treatment of B-cell malignancies. In parallel with her academic pursuits\, Tori is a seasoned industry professional\, serving as a Senior Scientist at Sana Biotechnology in the T-cell therapeutics group. Over the past several years\, she has played a pivotal role in the design and evaluation of cutting-edge immunotherapies. She leads a team of scientists dedicated to assessing the safety and efficacy of in vivo generated CAR-T cells and allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies\, conducting studies both in vivo and in vitro. Beyond the lab\, Tori is a passionate advocate for STEM education and community engagement. She has mentored high school students across the Boston Public Schools\, promoting early exposure to careers in science and engineering. Her commitment to mentoring and education reflects her belief in creating more inclusive and accessible pathways into scientific research. Looking ahead\, she aims to continue growing as a scientist in industry\, with a focus on developing safe\, effective\, and accessible therapies for patients in need. In her free time\, Tori enjoys traveling\, outdoor activities\, and spending time at the beach.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-victoria-duback/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250409T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250409T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20240722T220119Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240722T220119Z
UID:5080-1744218000-1744225200@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Annual Awards Ceremony
DESCRIPTION:This is the annual event for our community to celebrate the department\, College\, University\, and external awards and achievements given over the past year. \n**Parking is available for a fee at Gainsborough and Renaissance Park Garages. There are also meters on Columbus Ave. Lyft and Uber are also suggested. MBTA commuters can take the Orange Line to the Ruggles stop.**
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-annual-awards-ceremony/
LOCATION:Alumni Center\, 716 Columbus Ave\, 6th Floor\, Boston\, MA\, 02120\, United States
GEO:42.3376775;-71.0852898
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Alumni Center 716 Columbus Ave 6th Floor Boston MA 02120 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=716 Columbus Ave\, 6th Floor:geo:-71.0852898,42.3376775
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250404T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250404T133000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20240722T215826Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250331T181231Z
UID:5072-1743766200-1743773400@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Capstone Poster Session
DESCRIPTION:Come join us in celebrating our students’ capstone projects! Explore our graduating seniors’ incredible posters and groundbreaking research.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-capstone-poster-session/
LOCATION:The Cabral Center\, 40 Leon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250402T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250402T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250318T181557Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T181557Z
UID:5465-1743595200-1743598800@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Bill Lenart
DESCRIPTION:Data-Driven Approaches Towards Controlling the Structure-Property-Processing Relationships of Soft Matter \nLocation: 135 Shillman Hall \nAbstract: Controlling the hierarchical structure of soft matter\, like polymers\, from monomer to microstructure to process design is crucial for tailoring their functional properties in advanced materials systems. However\, achieving scalable production of advanced soft materials is hindered by their inherent path-dependent behavior through a thermodynamic and kinetic landscape. Behavior arising from the kinetic limitations of macromolecular relaxation and diffusion during processing. Understanding and leveraging the path-dependence of structure-property-processing relationships in these hierarchical systems is key to addressing pressing societal challenges such as mixed plastic waste recycling and replacing synthetic plastics with natural polymer alternatives. Accomplishing this requires many large parameter datasets constructed from the combination of process analytical technology (PAT) with physical and computational experiments built into autonomous systems of experimentation\, process monitoring\, and process control. PAT can be used to generate high-fidelity datasets linking processing conditions to emergent material structure and properties. These experimental datasets (combined with offline thermal\, mechanical\, rheological\, chemical\, and structural data) then inform physics-based multiscale simulations and machine learning models. The simulations\, parameterized and validated by PAT and offline data\, allow the computational exploration of the complex processing-structure landscape and identify optimal processing windows. Hierarchical machine learning algorithms can then be trained on these combined datasets to develop predictive models capable of real-time process monitoring and control\, ultimately enabling resilient and scalable manufacturing. \nThis presentation will provide an overview of this approach\, applied to three research thrusts: (1) Autonomously Learning the Physics of Polymer Mixing\, (2) Mixed Plastic Waste Recycling\, and (3) Alginate as a Synthetic Plastic Alternative. Then we will take a deep dive into developing natural polymers\, like alginate\, as functional replacements for synthetic plastics. This will showcase the Roux Institute research model integrating fundamental and translational research with entrepreneurial engagement and workforce development. This includes a discussion on the value-chain of seaweed-derived polymers\, methods for dynamic control of chain architecture and molecular weight\, improving the quality of refined alginate\, modeling the performance and service life of alginate-based materials\, and addressing the technical limitations to creating value in a seaweed biopolymer industrial ecosystem. \n\nBill Lenart received his BSE in Polymer Science and Engineering and PhD in Macromolecular Science and Engineering from the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University under the advisement of Prof. Michael Hore. He held his first postdoc appointment in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota with Profs. Chris Ellison and Chris Macosko and his second at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering with Prof. Stuart Rowan. Lenart started as a research scientist at the Roux Institute in Portland\, ME in August\, 2023.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-bill-lenart/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250319T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250319T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250121T193452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250121T193452Z
UID:5362-1742385600-1742389200@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Kristen Wendell
DESCRIPTION:Investigating the “Black Box” of Active Learning Approaches in Engineering Education \nLocation: 135 Shillman Hall \nAbstract: In our research on undergraduate engineering education\, we seek to build theory about the details of active learning experiences in engineering courses. Engineering educators aspire to support students from all backgrounds and identities in developing deep conceptual understanding and sophisticated engineering skills. To meet this goal\, more work is needed to inform theory about individual variation and moment-to-moment processes within active learning approaches. For example\, what do students’ talk and actions look like when they are successfully learning from collaborative engineering problem solving? What specific kinds of interaction between instructors and learners foster students’ knowledge construction? \nI will present findings from three studies in which engineering faculty and education researchers collaborated to investigate these questions. We explore a “personalized problem” approach to team homework assignments in thermal fluids\, a framework for “messy” open-ended modeling problems in mechanics\, and a “responsive teaching” approach to training undergraduate learning assistants. Across the three contexts\, we conducted discourse analysis of audio recorded student interaction\, a qualitative technique common in the learning sciences. Our findings begin to characterize the task features and instructor moves that cue productive learning dynamics among undergraduate engineering students. \n\nDr. Kristen Wendell is Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Education and Co-Director of the Institute for Research on Learning and Instruction (IRLI) at Tufts University. Her research group is based at the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO). An NSF PECASE award recipient\, she serves as PI and co-PI on NSF-funded projects that investigate curriculum and instructional supports for deeper and more inclusive knowledge construction by engineering learners. She is a Deputy Editor for the Journal of Engineering Education. She teaches courses in design\, mechanics\, electronics\, and engineering education. Wendell holds a PhD in science education from Tufts and BS and MS degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton and MIT.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-kristen-wendell/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250312T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250312T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250115T194410Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250115T194410Z
UID:5357-1741780800-1741784400@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Nikhil Nair
DESCRIPTION:Understanding and mitigating host-part incompatibilities during microbial engineering \nLocation: 135 Shillman Hall \nAbstract: One of our major goals is to elucidate and highlight the unexpected outcomes that result from modifying living systems and formalize them under the umbrella of “incompatibilities”. For example\, when multiple recombinant proteins are co-expressed in bacteria like E. coli\, the cellular growth rate reduces\, due to the burden of protein expression. However\, the same system can be considered an incompatibility between the resources used for protein synthesis and the bacterial host’s intrinsic resource demands for growth. Similarly\, when a recombinant enzyme is expressed in a recombinant host\, its off-target activity on host metabolites can result in the re-distribution of fluxes through a number of host metabolic pathways. While such activity is frequently filed under promiscuous enzymatic activity\, the same can be considered an incompatibility between the enzyme and the host’s metabolic network. We have spent significant effort in systematically exploring the origin of these numerous host-part incompatibilities (where\, the added component\, like recombinant protein\, is referred to as a biological “part”) in efforts to explain previously inexplicable experimental observations. By understanding the origins of incompatibilities\, our work has revealed fundamental insights into cellular physiology and enabled the development of more robust and efficient engineered biological systems. \n\nNik Nair (naa-year) received his B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Cornell University (Ithaca\, NY) in 2003. While at Cornell\, he was a founding member and lead guitarist of the not-so-well-known progressive metal band called “Rubicon”. After graduation in 2003 and a brief stint at Bristol Myers Squibb\, where he worked as a manufacturing research scientist in biotechnology purification development\, he received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Illinois\, Urbana-Champaign under the guidance of Prof. Huimin Zhao. He joined Tufts in 2013 after completing a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship in Microbiology and Immunobiology at the Harvard Medical School in Prof. Ann Hochschild’s lab. He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2020. He is a recipient of the 2016 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award. The Nair Synthetic Biology & Systems Bioengineering Lab focuses on two major areas of research – 1) biosynthesis of renewable fuels and chemicals from sustainable feedstocks\, and 2) engineering proteins and microbes to improve human health. In his spare time\, which is increasingly rare\, he likes to play guitar\, golf\, and video games and watch trashy TV shows like 90 Day Fiancé and Sister Wives. His long-term plans include starting several companies based on lab-developed technologies and eventually resurrecting “Rubicon” once his young sons are old enough to master their instruments (Kiran: guitar; Liam: keyboards).
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-nikhil-nair/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250219T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250219T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250114T212614Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250114T212818Z
UID:5350-1739966400-1739970000@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Ke Zhang
DESCRIPTION:Life in a tight spot: Spying on bacteria in complex spaces \nLocation: 135 Shillman Hall \nAbstract: Nucleic acids are programmable biomolecules that hold great promises as a therapeutic. However\, with over 40 years of development\, only a handful of nucleic acid drugs ever reached the market. The lack of greater success is in part due to the poor biopharmaceutical properties of naked nucleic acids\, which require extensive chemical modification and/or the use of a carrier system. This presentation focuses on the development of a bottlebrush polymer system for improving the delivery of oligonucleotide-based genetic medicine. Termed Brushield (brush + shield)\, the delivery technology relies upon the three-dimensional arrangement of biologically benign polymer chains to enhance the pharmacological properties of the nucleic acids. The polymer provides the conjugated oligonucleotide steric selectivity towards complementary strands vs. proteins\, which allows it to bypass many of the side effects associated with protein-DNA interactions and achieve bioactivity in a number of disease models. \n\n Dr. Ke Zhang obtained his BS degree in 2005 in Applied Chemistry from Nanjing University of Technology\, China. He then studied polymer chemistry with Prof. Karen Wooley at Washington University in St. Louis\, focusing on shell-crosslinked knedel-like nanoparticles and gene delivery\, obtaining a PhD degree in Chemistry in 2009. Thereafter\, Dr. Zhang was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Chad Mirkin at Northwestern University to develop hollow spherical nucleic acids\, a carrier-free platform for gene regulation. In 2012\, Dr. Zhang joined Northeastern University as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and was promoted to Associate in 2017 and to Full in 2022. His current research includes the design and synthesis of unique polymer superstructures\, nucleic acid-polymer conjugates\, and genetic nanomedicine. Dr. Zhang was recognized as a Kabiller Rising Star in Nanomedicine (2023)\, a Pioneering Investigator by Polymer Chemistry (2021)\, Emerging Investigator by Journal of Materials Chemistry B (2020)\, ACS PMSE Young Investigator (2018)\, Nano Research Young Innovator (2017)\, ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator (2014)\, and by an NSF CAREER award (2014).
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-ke-zhang/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250129T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250129T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20250114T212735Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250114T212735Z
UID:5353-1738152000-1738155600@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Sara H. Rouhanifard
DESCRIPTION:Developing tools for single-molecule sequencing and imaging of RNA modifications \nLocation: 135 Shillman Hall \nAbstract: Despite every cell in the human body having the same genetic makeup\, gene expression varies greatly between them. The process of DNA transcription into RNA\, along with subsequent post-transcriptional modifications\, is crucial for achieving this variability and enabling cell specialization. To manage and potentially correct abnormal gene expression\, it’s essential to understand these complex regulatory steps. This understanding relies on developing advanced tools for single-molecule identification\, quantification and imaging of RNAs. \nIn this talk\, I will detail our efforts to identify newly modified mRNAs in human cells using direct\, long-read sequencing technologies. We are leveraging this technology to explore how RNA modifications impact the physiological functions of developing neurons and immune cells from the human body. By visualizing RNA populations within cells\, we can gain insights into their functions and mechanisms—localization often suggests function\, while single-cell distribution can reveal underlying mechanisms. \nI will also discuss our work on developing methods for site specific imaging of modified and newly transcribed RNAs\, including new chemistry designed for live-cell imaging with single-molecule resolution. These innovations promise to deepen our understanding of gene regulation and pave the way for new therapeutic approaches\, such as vaccines for infectious disease and advanced gene therapies. \n\n Prof. Rouhanifard received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UMass Amherst in 2007. She then completed a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine under the supervision of Peng Wu\, developing chemical tools to probe glycosylation in cells using biorthogonal chemistry. She then joined the laboratory of Arjun Raj Bioengineering department at the University of Pennsylvania as a postdoctoral associate and a NIH Ruth S. Kirschstein F32 National Research Service Award fellow\, where she developed single-molecule approaches to image RNA in cells. She joined the Northeastern Bioengineering department as an assistant professor in 2019. Her primary research interests lie in understanding the epitranscriptome and related mechanisms that govern cellular differentiation and response to external stimuli. The Rouhanifard laboratory develops quantitative\, single-molecule sequencing and imaging approaches using new chemistry to identify and perturb sites of RNA modifications to reveal specific biological functions that may be exploited for the development of future therapeutics.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-sara-h-rouhanifard/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241213T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241213T160000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20241202T194950Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241202T194950Z
UID:5314-1734098400-1734105600@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Yuan Li
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nYuan Li \nTitle:\nEstablishing a Physiologically Relevant Upper Gastrointestinal In Vitro Model Incorporating Bile Salts and Simplified Commensal Microbial Consortium \nDate:\n12/13/2024 \nTime:\n2:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Rebecca Carrier (Advisor)\nProf. Abigail Koppes\nProf. Erel Levine\nProf. Jiahe Li \nLocation:\nEXP 610-A \nAbstract:\nBacteria-epithelial-immune crosstalk plays crucial roles in intestinal physiology. Bile salts (BS) act as critical modulators of these interactions\, influencing health and disease. Tools for studying interactions between BS\, microbes\, and host cells within the human intestinal mucosa are lacking. \nIn this project\, we developed in vitro intestinal models for studying bacteria-epithelial-immune crosstalk. First\, the impacts of individual BS (sodium taurocholate\, NaTC; sodium glycochenodeoxycholate\, NaGCDC; and sodium tauroursodeoxycholate\, NaTUDC) on human primary intestinal epithelial monolayer co-cultures with Escherichia coli were studied. We observed that high BS concentrations disrupted barrier function\, as evidenced by reduced transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER)\, with NaGCDC causing the most significant damage. Interestingly\, the addition of phyosphatidylcholine (PC) and E. coli were observed to mitigate the BS-induced monolayer TEER reductions. \nTo enhance the model’s physiological relevance\, we next incorporated a simplified model bile (including NaTC\, NaGCDC\, NaTUDC\, and PC)\, an apical hypoxic environment\, dendritic cells\, and a simplified commensal microbial consortium (Streptococcus mitis\, Clostridium bifermentans\, Prevotella melaninogenica\, and Bifidobacterium longum). 4/1 mM concentrations of BS/PC micelles were observed to damage the epithelial barrier under hypoxic but not normoxic conditions. However\, incorporation of the bacterial consortium protected the epithelium from BS/PC – associated damage. Furthermore\, the presence of BS/PC alleviated barrier damage and inflammatory response induced by co-culture with the bacterial consortium\, potentially in part through modulation of bacterial growth. In addition\, we observed thicker mucus layers not only impacted the growth of consortium strains\, resulting in enhanced growth of the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum\, but also reduced inflammatory responses to bacteria and BS/PC-induced epithelial damage. In general\, our in vitro model revealed that commensal microbes mitigate BS and BS/PC toxicity to the epithelial monolayer\, while BS helps alleviate monolayer damage and inflammatory response caused by commensal microbes. \nIn preparation for transferring the developed model from static cell culture inserts to microfluidic devices for mimicking intestinal fluidic stimuli and enabling facile visualization of the mucosal interface\, we designed a gut-on-chip platform with a vertical hydrogel-cultured epithelial monolayer. Three hydrogels (crosslinked collagen type I\, PEG-VS\, and PEG-SG-PLL) were evaluated for compatibility with human primary intestinal epithelial stem cells (HPIESCs). Collagen type I and PEG-SG-PLL were found to support HPIESC adhesion and monolayer formation\, but collagen lost structural integrity under flow. PEG-VS\, though functionalized with cell-binding peptides\, only enabled partial monolayer formation. Notably\, encapsulating organoids in PEG-VS near the gel-medium interface enabled crypt-like monolayer formation through organoid-driven gel re-structuring. Furthermore\, we found that flow enhanced epithelial differentiation on PEG-SG-PLL and PEG-VS (encapsulation method)\, leading to thicker monolayers with taller columnar cells compared to static culture. These findings show PEG-SG-PLL and PEG-VS are good candidates for enabling transition of the bile-intestinal model to microfluidic chip platforms.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-yuan-li/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241210T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241210T160000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20241202T194836Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241202T194836Z
UID:5310-1733839200-1733846400@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Peng Zhao
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nPeng Zhao \nTitle:\nImpact of ECM-Based Hydrogel Delivery Vehicle Properties on Cell Survival in a 3D In Vitro Injection Model for Retinal Progenitor Cell Transplantation \nDate:\n12/10/2024 \nTime:\n2:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Rebecca Carrier (Advisor)\nProf. Abigail Koppes\nProf. Sidi Bencherif\nProf. Michael Young \nLocation:\nEXP 610-A \nAbstract:\nAge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss globally and a form of retinal degenerative (RD) disease. Current treatments\, such as gene therapy\, drugs\, laser procedures\, and neuroprotective approaches\, cannot restore the photoreceptors lost in RD diseases. Cell transplantation into the subretinal space shows potential to enhance visual function\, but low cell survival and efflux from the injection site present major obstacles. Mechanical forces during injection can severely damage cells\, and the host microenvironment may further contribute to cell death. Following high-density subretinal injection\, a compact cell bolus may form\, resulting in nutrient depletion\, low oxygen levels\, pH imbalances\, and waste accumulation—factors that exacerbate cell death. \nBiomaterial scaffolds have been employed to improve cell survival and differentiation\, though the ideal scaffold cues for supporting transplanted cell survival and integration remain undetermined. In this study\, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) in vitro injection model to simulate subretinal bolus injection. Using this model\, we found that the injection process and bolus microenvironment negatively impact human retinal progenitor cell (hRPC) viability\, promoting apoptosis. Alginate-based hydrogels of varying stiffness and extracellular matrix (ECM) molecule compositions were created using factorial design. hRPC viability\, apoptosis\, and migration within the formed hydrogels were investigated through the 3D in vitro injection model and a 3D invasion assay. Factorial design analysis revealed that higher stiffness and the inclusion of laminin and hyaluronic acid enhance hRPC survival and 3D migration. \nOne challenge with studying cell responses in the context of cell transplantation is the inability to easily visualize cells at the transplantation site over time. Compared to traditional in vitro cultures\, retinal explant models that retain native tissue structure and neuronal connections could provide physiologically relevant insights. Here\, we developed a novel explant model for hRPC transplantation\, wherein alginate-based hydrogels containing hRPCs were injected adjacent to cross-sectional retinal tissue slices. This setup allows visualization of the cells’ position relative to retinal tissue layers over time. Key cell behaviors\, including migration\, attachment\, invasion\, viability\, and apoptosis\, were tracked in real-time using confocal microscopy.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-peng-zhao/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241204T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241204T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20240806T211609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241101T185914Z
UID:5130-1733313600-1733317200@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Omokolade Adebowale
DESCRIPTION:Multiscale Mechanoimmunology: From Molecular Mechanisms to Precision Therapies \nLocation: 305 Shillman Hall \nAbstract: Multiscale Mechanoimmunology: From Molecular Mechanisms to Precision Therapies Therapeutic immune cells have the potential to treat complex diseases. Some therapies\, such as CAR T cells\, are effective against blood cancers but are not effective against solid cancers\, which comprise about 90% of adult cancers. A key requirement of the role of therapeutic cells in tumor eradication is their ability to migrate to and infiltrate the tumor. To accomplish this\, cells navigate various mechanoimmunological factors\, such as tissue viscoelasticity. One consequence of viscoelasticity is time-dependent stress relaxation – a decrease in stress in response to applied deformation. However\, the mechanisms by which viscoelasticity regulates migration are not fully understood. In addition\, limited studies have quantitatively compared the transport of cell therapies in tissue-like environments. My research aims to address these research gaps. To address the potential role of viscoelasticity on 3D cell migration\, I developed hydrogels that mimic the stress relaxation behavior of native tissues. I found that enhanced stress relaxation potentiates monocyte migration. Mechanistically\, our data support a model whereby WASP-mediated actin polymerization generates physical force at the leading edge of the cell to generate micron-sized channels for cells to migrate through. In a separate project\, I integrated macrophage phenotype and morphometric transitions. Together\, our studies establish a platform to determine the role of mechanical cues in shaping the immune response and to leverage fundamental mechanisms to enable the rational design of “living drugs.” \n\nKolade Adebowale will join the Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering as an assistant professor in Spring 2025. Dr. Adebowale received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2021 under the guidance of Professor Ovijit Chaudhuri. Dr. Adebowale is a postdoctoral fellow with Professor Samir Mitragotri at Harvard University. While at Stanford\, Dr. Adebowale received the NSF GRFP\, a Stanford Graduate Fellowship\, and an NIH F31 grant. At Harvard\, Dr. Adebowale was awarded an NSF Ascend – MPS postdoctoral fellowship and was an NIH MOSAIC K99/R00 scholar. Dr. Adebowale’s main research areas are biomaterials\, mechanobiology\, and immunology. He seeks to integrate engineering design principles in cancer immunology to enable rational engineering and prediction of effective\, next-generation immune cell therapies. Furthermore\, Dr. Adebowale strives to understand how the complex functionality of the immune system arises from mechanical cues and simple biophysical principles. Dr. Adebowale is excited to teach and mentor the next generation of scientists and engineers.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-omokolade-adebowale/
LOCATION:305 Shillman\, 360 Huntington Ave\, 305 Shillman\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241125T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241125T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20241120T011317Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241120T011317Z
UID:5271-1732532400-1732539600@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Dominick Guida
DESCRIPTION:  \nName: \n\nDominick Guida \nTitle: \nCharacterizing and Modeling Heterogeneity in Alkaline Zn-MnO2 Batteries Using Synchrotron CT and EDXRD \nDate:\n11/25/2024 \nTime:\n11:00:00 AM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Joshua Gallaway (Advisor)\nProf. Leila Deravi\nProf. Richard West \nLocation:\nEXP 610 and Teams \nAbstract:\nAlkaline Zn-MnO2 cells have dominated the primary battery industry for decades\, enabled by their inherent safety\, minimal environmental impact\, and low cost. Despite their widespread use\, the internal phenomena that occur within alkaline Zn anodes and MnO2 cathodes remain incompletely characterized. Within alkaline Zn anodes\, unaccounted discharge phenomena result in an inability to predict active material distribution\, internal resistance\, and eventual cell failure. In the MnO2 cathode\, heterogeneous protonation and subsequent gradient relaxation impacts cell performance\, yet remains incompletely characterized. A robust understanding of the function of alkaline Zn-MnO2 batteries is a necessary step in further improving their performance and expanding on their usefulness. \nTo better understand Zn anodes\, high resolution computed tomography (CT) was used to determine the material distribution and morphology of active phases in situ for Zn anodes discharged under various conditions. A novel algorithm was then developed to segment each individual phase from the CT data and obtain 1-D radial material distributions for direct comparison with computational modeling. The evaluation of material distributions and battery performance data provided invaluable insights on the function of alkaline Zn anodes\, including percolation effects on the Zn particle network\, maintenance of the electronic network through ZnO bridging\, and solid phase mobility due to granular flow. Identifying these phenomena have been a significant step towards elucidating the functional mechanisms within alkaline Zn anodes\, representing critical behaviors that had previously gone undetected. Not accounting for such pivotal electrode characteristics provides ample evidence as to why early modeling attempts failed to adequately capture Zn anode function. By incorporating these newly discovered phenomena\, it is now possible to predict the behavior of alkaline Zn anodes with excellent accuracy. \nIn studying MnO2 cathodes\, spatially resolved energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) was used to measure the heterogeneity in protonation of the active material. When using a pulsed discharge protocol\, it was identified that a significant gradient in MnO2 proton content forms across the cathode thickness during a discharge pulse and partially relaxes during a subsequent rest. The rate of gradient relaxation suggested a redox-based mechanism for proton redistribution\, which was not accurately predicted when using typical kinetic models. A fundamental kinetics experiment was performed on prismatic MnO2 electrodes\, identifying that the core-shell discharge behavior of MnO2\, where undischarged cores of MnO2 are surrounded by shells of MnOOH discharge products\, has significant implications for the reaction kinetics. As a result\, the kinetic expression used for MnO2 cathodes was modified to account for the effects of proton transport limitations induced from the MnOOH shell\, as well as kinetic effects of the active particle surface. This new expression dramatically improved MnO2 cathode model accuracy\, with simulated proton gradient formation and relaxation rates being in excellent agreement with EDXRD measurements. \nThe experimentally driven insights into alkaline Zn anodes and MnO2 cathodes have led to significant discoveries of previously unknown and uncharacterized phenomena that impact cell performance. These results were then incorporated into computational models to improve their accuracy and effectiveness\, while also representing an improved overall understanding of alkaline Zn-MnO2 batteries.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-dominick-guida/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241106T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241106T130000
DTSTAMP:20260425T234617
CREATED:20240806T211708Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241101T191234Z
UID:5133-1730894400-1730898000@che.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Susan Roberts
DESCRIPTION:Molecular Engineering for Production of Anti-cancer Compounds in Plant Cell Culture \nLocation: 305 Shillman Hall \nAbstract: Our research is focused on cellular engineering and design of bioprocesses using plant-based systems. Plants produce sophisticated small molecules that play key roles in defense against predators and environmental elements. These natural products are synthesized through specialized metabolic pathways\, that have both shared and unique components when compared amongst plant systems. These specialized metabolites are useful in a variety of societal applications including as nutraceuticals\, flavorings\, colorings and pharmaceuticals. The supply of these compounds is often hindered due to low yields in nature and the inability to chemically synthesize at scale. We use plant cell culture technology as both a system of study and a scalable production system due to the ability to engineer cells and the environment to optimize accumulation of products of interest. Our group uses a combination of traditional bioprocess engineering techniques (e.g.\, bioreactor design\, cell culture\, media optimization) and modern molecular biology and analytical chemistry techniques (e.g.\, gene transfer\, transcriptomics analyses\, UPLC). Today\, I will focus my talk on molecular engineering strategies to understand and increase paclitaxel production in Taxus plant cell suspension culture. We have applied transcriptomics analyses and genetic engineering tools to understand and manipulate the pathway to paclitaxel\, identify paclitaxel transporters\, and engineer epigenetic mechanisms that can lead to decreased production over time in culture. \n\nDr. Susan Roberts is Professor and Head of Chemical Engineering at WPI. She received her BS degree in Chemical Engineering from WPI in 1992\, PhD in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University in 1998\, served on the faculty at UMass Amherst Chemical Engineering for 17 years and joined WPI as Professor and Head in 2015. Her work has raised over $10M from NSF\, NIH\, industry and government. She is a program builder and has established new interdisciplinary research and education programs through strategic partnerships and external funding from the NSF ADVANCE Program\, NIIMBL Workforce Development Award\, Mass Life Sciences Center\, NSF IGERT and NIH T32 Programs. She is a passionate about faculty development\, training interdisciplinary engineers\, innovating graduate education and advocating for advancement of women and underrepresented groups in STEM fields.
URL:https://che.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-susan-roberts/
LOCATION:305 Shillman\, 360 Huntington Ave\, 305 Shillman\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
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END:VCALENDAR