Research News 2026
Synthetic Biology Celebrates 10 Years of Impact
The Center for Synthetic Biology (CSB) at Northwestern marked its 10th anniversary May 13–14 with a two-day gathering of faculty, trainees, alumni, collaborators, supporters, biotech ecosystem partners and campus leaders, taking stock of a decade of interdisciplinary work and looking ahead to what comes next for engineering biology.
Synthetic biology applies engineering approaches to biology, opening new paths in medicine, manufacturing, agriculture and materials. Over 10 years, CSB has helped make Northwestern a national destination for research and training in the field, bringing together teams and tools that don’t fit neatly within any one department. Full story.
A Closer Look at Northwestern’s New Simpson-Q Accelerators
With the recent launch of the Simpson-Q Accelerators—supported by a generous $25 million gift from Trustee Kimberly K. Querrey—Northwestern is expanding its capacity to translate high-potential discoveries from the lab to real-world application. Building on the Querrey InQbation Lab (“The Q”), the accelerators will focus initially on AI, medtech, and therapeutics, pairing interdisciplinary research teams with targeted translational support, industry expertise, and venture development resources to speed the path from discovery to impact.
We recently spoke with Lisa Dhar, Northwestern’s associate vice president for innovation and new ventures, to learn more about what makes the accelerators so compelling, and how she sees them accelerating a new generation of research-driven solutions. Here's what she said.
A New Era for Structural Biology
Northwestern is greatly expanding its capabilities in structural biology and biomedical discovery with the acquisition of a state-of-the-art Krios cryo-electron microscope, which is now being prepared for use.
Funded by a $15 million gift from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, the instrument provides a new window into the building blocks of life. This also marks a major milestone in Northwestern’s top research priority: strengthening the biosciences through increased collaboration between the Evanston and Chicago campuses and fostering transformative interdisciplinary work. Find more.
Built for Breakthroughs at Northwestern
Northwestern University showcased the power of interdisciplinary collaboration at its inaugural University-wide Research Institutes and Centers (URIC) Research Impact Day, highlighting how cross-campus teams turn bold ideas into real-world solutions. From the development of the world’s smallest dissolvable pacemaker to advances across biosciences, AI, social sciences, and physical sciences, the event underscored how shared infrastructure and team science accelerate discovery. Full story.