chemical and biomolecular engineering

a heavy weight is being lifted off a table using a slender piece of elastic material. An insight image shows a close-up of the material, which is made of a transparent substance that looks like plastic.

Feb 21, 2022

New Material Offers Remarkable Combo of Toughness and Stretchiness

The new materials are also easy to make, easy to process, and you can 3D print them.

Lilian Hsiao, an Asian American woman, stands in front of a window

Feb 15, 2022

Chemical Engineer Lilian Hsiao Named Sloan Research Fellow

Hsiao’s work focuses on advancing our fundamental understanding of microscopic forces in liquids and soft matter.

Bacteriophages at different levels of magnification (attached to bacterial cell wall/in petri dish).

Feb 14, 2022

New Technique Improves Directed Evolution of Microorganisms

The technique can be used to better engineer microorganisms for biopharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing.

Baugh seen from the side, working at his lab bench.

Feb 1, 2022

Soft Materials Are an Interdisciplinary Game-Changer

At NC State, transformative research into soft material occurs in numerous colleges and departments.

Green and purple microscopic imaging shows particles coated in DendriPeps separate while shear increases.

Jan 11, 2022

NC State Researcher Develops Soft Material to Preserve Biological Medicines

NC State researchers developed a soft material that can help biological medicines treat infections without the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

on a top horizontal row there are two clusters of smooth spheres packed closely together the clusters are separated by a series of closely intertwined lines; on a bottom horizontal row there are two clusters of rough-edged spherical objects packed closely together the clusters are separated by a series of erratic, widely-spaced lines

Oct 7, 2021

New Images Lead to Better Prediction of Shear Thickening

The work allows us to directly understand a phenomenon that has significant industrial applications.

A grey metal arch (the Alumni Gateway) framed against the sky. The image has nothing to do with the research.

Aug 31, 2021

Genes Can Respond to Coded Information in Signals – or Filter Them Out Entirely

The study shows how a single mechanism can trigger different behaviors from the same gene.

hands in latex gloves twist a piece of clear, elastic material that contains liquid metal

Aug 31, 2021

Using Liquid Metal to Turn Motion into Electricity – Even Underwater

To generate electricity, just squish it, stretch it, twist it, or stomp on it.

Jul 29, 2021

Chancellor’s Innovation Fund Catalyzes 6 Promising Projects

This year’s Chancellor's Innovation Fund projects could reshape medicine, immunotherapies, consumer packaging, stealth jets and solar-energy cells.

cartoon portraying yeast cells in a flask, with each cell containing a chemical laboratory

Jul 1, 2021

Turning Yeast Cells Into Labs For Studying Drivers of Gene Regulation

The cells are a more efficient platform for studying proteins that play a key role in regulating gene expression.

May 14, 2021

Researchers Develop 3D-Printed Jelly

The material has potential uses in soft robotics, wound healing and cell scaffolding.

Emily Barefoot and Mary Kathryn Kinley pose in their grad caps and gowns while holding up wolf ears at the Court of North Carolina.

May 3, 2021

‘Love You Forever’: Meet #NCState21 Best Friends Mary Kathryn and Emily

As part of our graduation video series, these two best friends tell us about their rivalry-turned-friendship — and the ice cream run that started it all.

researcher places petri dish under microscope

Apr 12, 2021

Researchers Engineer Probiotic Yeast to Produce Beta-Carotene

The work shows how a suite of genetic engineering tools can be used to modify the yeast.

diagram of ai selection and optimization process

Mar 22, 2021

Virtual Lab Finds the Right AI Tool for Each Chemistry Problem

Having the right tool for the job makes the job a lot easier, less expensive and faster.

Feb 26, 2021

New Catalyst Makes Styrene Manufacturing Cheaper, Greener

The work is a big step forward for manufacturing a chemical used to make a wide variety of industrial materials.