Shrinivas lab
Chemical & Biological Engineering , Northwestern University
Vision
The lab’s vision is to understand and engineer how life works at the molecular and cellular scales. The functions of life emerge from dynamic interactions amongst billions of biomolecules that self-organize in a crowded and squishy cellular environment. We thus adopt an interdisciplinary approach - bridging ideas across biophysics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering to decipher fundamental scientific mechanisms while also pursuing translational applications to impact human health. This approach is bolstered by our extensive local ties (NU Medical School, Applied Math, Center for Synthetic Biology, National Institute for Theory and Math in Biology) and broader collaborations with scientists across the country. Towards and beyond the science, we believe in fostering an environment that supports the well-being and success of all members.
If you are interested in learning more - check out our research, papers, or open positions.
Latest news
| Jul 22, 2026 |
We hung out at the beach, played football (soccer, obviously) and kuub, and got yummy arepas!
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| Jul 15, 2026 | Krishna visits the Marine Biological Labs to give a lecture to the Physiology course! It was electric, as always, and thanks to Amy and Cliff (and all the awesome course faculty and students) for an awesome 2 days! |
| Jul 07, 2026 |
Our second cover in as many months - exploring how droplet condensation can classify surfaces - on the front page of PNAS!
Pictured are dew drops formed by the condensation of water vapor into beads on the surface of a leaf. Cells use similar physical principles to form droplets of biomolecules at specific sites on genomes and other surfaces. Inspired by such physical processes, Aidan Zentner et al. designed fluid systems to spur biomolecules to self-organize and form condensates at surfaces with different compositions within the fluid. The authors’ analysis found that the physics of condensation can drive decision-making in biomolecular systems. According to the authors, the physical processes underlying condensates can play a role beyond compartmentalization and enable information processing and computation. Image credit: Ian Zentner (photographer)
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