What a happy coincidence that on the day of the announcement that Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for basic science at the interface of Chemistry and Biology, CBI’s monthly Chalk Talk featured the labs of two women, Amanda Woerman and Jeanne Hardy. Jeanne took a moment to mark the historic occasion, expressing both the happiness felt by many who are “really thrilled to be doing science at a time when women are able to do great science and be recognized,” and also encouragement to the entire community to continue to find ways to make science welcoming to everyone.
Author: Lynmarie Thompson

CBI Trainee Adrian Lorenzana won first prize in the Materials Science and Engineering category in the NOBCChE ConneXions Poster Competition 2020 for his poster presentation “Force-responsive Materials Utilizing Cryptic Crosslinking Sites.” Congratulations Adrian!
Oct 23: CBI Alumni Networking Event

October 23, 2020, 10am-2pm
Join us for this online event to celebrate the 25th birthday of the CBI Program!
Featuring CBI Alumni leading Career Panel Discussions.
Showcasing current CBI student research in the new IALS Core Facilities.

Ghost Proteins
Dr. Ronald Raines
MIT
TBA
Joint CBI/Chemistry Seminar
Student Host: Jiale Du (Chemistry)
“Physical Origins of DnaK-substrate binding revealed through Physics-based modeling“
Erik Nordquist (J. Chen Lab)
Targeting Tau “The spread and aggregation of the protein tau has been linked to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, known as tauopathies. Mounting evidence suggests that the spread of tau aggregates may underlie disease phenotype, however the mechanism for this toxicity is still unknown. The Rauch lab uses a variety of cell biology, biochemical, and in vivo techniques to characterize consequences of tau propagation in the central nervous system and to define/target the molecular requirements for tau spread. As the newest faculty to the BMB department, Jenny will give a brief overview of exciting projects that will be starting in her lab this upcoming January.”
Rauch Lab, new incoming BMB Assistant Professor beginning in January 2021.

Using cell membranes to concentrate molecules in life processes
Dr. Sarah Keller
University of Washington
January 21, 2020 11:30 a.m. 222
Morrill Science Center II
Joint CBI/Microbiology Seminar
Student Host: Emily Melzer (MCB)

Fast Dynamics of Slow Moving Things: High Frequency Rheometry of Polymer Glasses and Polyelectrolyte Complexes
Dr. Kenneth Shull
Northwestern University
September 10, 2019 11:30 a.m.
LGRT 201
Joint CBI/Chem E Seminar
Student Host: Mengfei Huang (Chem E)

Designing Biology
Dr. Reshma Shetty
Gingko Bioworks
February 28, 2019 11:30 a.m.
LGRT 1634
Joint CBI/Chemistry Seminar
Student Host: Elvan Cavac (Chemistry)

Post-transcriptional Regulation of the Response to Stress
Dr. Susan Gottesman
National Cancer Institute, NIH
October 23, 2018 4pm
Room 222 Morrill Science Center South
Joint CBI/MCB Seminar
Student Host: Rilee Zeinert (MCB)

Microtubule Structure, Dynamics, and Regulatory Interactions visualized by cryo-EM
Dr. Eva Nogales
University of California Berkeley
September 27, 201811:30 a.m.
LGRT 1634
Joint CBI/Chemistry Seminar
Student Host: Ishankumar Soni (Chemistry)

A Fresh (non-invasive) look at immunity
Dr. Hidde Ploegh
Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Division of Molecular Biology Department of Medicine Boston Children’s Hospital
September 25, 2018 4:00 p.m.
Morril 2 Room 222
Joint CBI/MCB Seminar
Student Host: Jill Graham (MCB)

Bioactive, peptide-containing polymers for biomedical applications
Dr. Suzie Pun
Professor, University of Washington
April 3, 2018 11:30 a.m.
LGRT 201
Joint CBI/Chem E Seminar
Student Host: Sualyneth Galarza (Chem E)

Quantitative Dissection of Proteolytic Networks Governing Tissue Remodeling in Health and Disease
Dr. Manu Platt
Georgia Institute of Technology
April 20, 2017 11:30 a.m.
LGRT 201
Joint CBI/Chemical Engineering Seminar
Student Host: Alyssa Schwarz

2017 CBI Ice Cream social in ISB lobby.
August 2nd, 2017 CBI Ice Cream Social.

New Gas-phase Tools for the Simultaneous Determination of Protein Complex Structure, Stability and Sequence
Dr. Brandon Ruotolo
University of Michigan
March 3, 2017 11:00 a.m.
LGRT 1632
Joint CBI/Chemistry Seminar
Student Host: Patanachai Limpikirati (Kong) (Chem)
Spring 2015 CBI 20th Birthday Seminar Series (pdf)
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
4:00 p.m. in ISB 221
Joint CBI/MCB Seminar
Susan Marqusee MD, PhD
Director, QB3-Berkeley
Eveland Warren Endowed Chair, Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, University of California Berkeley
“Sequence and Environmental Determinants of a Protein’s Energy Landscape”
Host: Joseph Tilitsky
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
11:30 a.m. in LGRT 1634
Joint CBI/Chem Seminar
Dr. John Kozarich
Chairman, President
ActivX Biosciences, Inc.
“Chemoproteomic Interrogation of ATP Binding Space: New Methods and Surprises”
Host: Scott Eron
Fall 2015 CBI 20th Birthday Seminar Series (pdf)
Friday, September 11, 2015
3:35 p.m. in Conte A110/111
Joint CBI/PSE Seminar
Professor David Mooney
Robert P. Pinkas Family Professor of Bioengineering
Core Faculty Member, Wyss Institute
Harvard University
“Biomaterial-based Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines”
Host: Brittany deRonde
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
11:30 a.m. in LGRT 201
Joint CBI/ChemEng Seminar
Professor Darrell J. Irvine
Professor of Materials Science & Engineering and Biological Engineering,
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT
Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard
Host: Lauren Jansen
Thursday, May 8, 2014 at 11:15 a.m. in LGRT 1634
Joint CBI/Chem Seminar
Professor Cathy Drennan
Departments of Chemistry and Biology
MIT & HHMI
Title: Shake, Rattle, & Roll: Capturing Snapshots of Metalloproteins in Action
Host: Cornelius Taabazuing
Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 11:15 a.m. in LGRT 1634
Joint CBI/Chem Seminar
Professor Chaitan Khosla
Departments of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and (by courtesy) Biochemistry
Stanford University
Title: TBA
Host: Tsung-Yi Lin
Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 11:15 a.m. in LGRT 1634
Joint CBI/Chem Seminar
Professor Donald M. Engelman
Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry
Yale University
“pH-dependent Transmembrane Peptide Insertion: Mechanism and Uses in Tumor Targeting and Drug Delivery”
Student Host: Fabian Romano Chernac
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. in Conte
Joint CBI/MCB Seminar
Dr. Robert A. Weinberg
Whitehead Institute
Ludwig Center for Cancer Research
Biology, MIT
“Cancer Stem Cells and Malignant Progression”
Student Host: Charley Swofford
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Joint CBI/Chem/MCB Seminar
Professor Steven Block
Department of Biological Sciences
Department of Applied Physics
Stanford University
“The Biophysics of Gene Regulation, Studied One Molecule at a Time”
Student Host: Ankit Vahia
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Joint CBI/Chemistry seminar
Professor Lars Konermann
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Western Ontario
“Using Electrospray Mass Spectrometry for Exploring Protein Folding and Dynamics”
Student host: Vanessa Mendoza
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
As part of the “Protein Misfolding Diseases” symposium hosted by the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department
Professor Jeffery Kelly
Chemistry Department
The Scripps Research Institute
“Understanding and ameliorating age onset neurodegenerative diseases”
Student host: Brad Pearse
Viral Fusion Proteins
Tuesday, May 2, 2006
Joint MCB/CBI seminar
Professor Stephen Harrison
Departments of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, and Pediatrics
Harvard Medical School
“Viral Fusion Proteins”
Student hosts: Abby Guce and Annie Marcelino
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Joint CBI/Chemistry seminar
Professor Barbara Imperiali
Department of Chemistry
MIT
“Chemical Tools for the Analysis of Complex Cellular Processes”
Student host: Rob Daniels
December 5, 2003 (and in 2000)
Joint CBI/MCB seminar
Professor Andy Ellington
Department of Cell & Molecular Biology
University of Texas
“Evolutionary Enginering of Molecules and Organisms”
Student host: Denis Drygin
Miniature Proteomics
Friday, October 3, 2003
Joint CBI/Chemistry seminar
Professor Alanna Schepartz
Department of Chemistry
Yale University
“Miniature Proteomics”
Student hosts: Catherine Goodman and Robert Daniels
Thursday, February 2, 2001
Joint CBI/Chemistry seminar
Professor Ronald Breslow
Department of Chemistry
Columbia University
“The Chelate Effect in Binding, Catalysis and Chemotherapy”
Student host: Edward Esposito