Recent News

Link to [Archived News]

July 2024: We welcome Cara Flynn, our newest PhD student, who will be working the biochemistry of plastic recycling. Welcome Cara!.
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July 2024: We welcome back Rebecca, graduate M.S. student and now our newest research assistant, who will be working the metabolomics of nutrient deficiencyin agricultural soils. Welcome back Rebecca!.
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June 2024: We welcome Maggie Schneider, DeFeO undergraduate fellow, who will be conducting research enzymes in nutrient cycling. Welcome Maggie!.
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June 2024: We welcome James Belgrave, SynBio REU student for the summer, who is working on bacterial conversion of lignin compounds. Welcome James!.
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June 2024: Just published article in Nature Communications. Led by Dr Ashty Karim of the Northwestern Center for Synthetic Biology and Prof. Julius Lucks of the Lucks Lab of Northwestern Chemical and Biological Engineering.
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June 2024: Northwestern University News on recent publication in Environmental Science and Technology: “Soil Bacteria Expel More CO2 after Eating Non-Sugar Carbons”.
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September 2025: Just accepted manuscript in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Led by the National Renewable Energy Lab, with contributions from the Aristilde Lab.
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September 2025: Aristilde Lab research is featured in Northwestern Now: “Bacteria rewire digestive systems to turn plant waste into power”.
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August 2025: New article in Communications Biology. Led by postdoc Dr Nanqing Zhou, and contributions from PhD student Norah Chen and undergraduate researcher Kelly Teitel. This work in collaboration with National Renewable Energy Lab and the Proteomics facility at University of Delaware.
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August 2025: Aristilde Lab research is featured in Northwestern Now: “How organic matter traps water in soil — even in the driest conditions”.
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August 2025: Just accepted manuscript in PNAS Nexus. Led by former PhD student Dr Sabrina Kelch of the Aristilde Lab, with collaborative contributions from current postdoc Dr Barrios-Cerda and former technician Yeonsoo Park.
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July 2025: Ph.D. student Jiaxing Wang sucesssfully defends his thesis, “Molecular-level Insights into the Adsorption of Low-Molecular-Weight Biomolecules at Water–Mineral Interfaces”. Congratulations Dr. Wang!.
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June 2025: Just accepted manuscript in ACS Synthetic Biology. Led by postdoc Dr Rebecca Wilkes under the guidance of Dr Allison Werner and Dr Gregg Beckham at the National Renewable Energy Lab..
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March 2025: Aristilde Lab research is featured in Northwestern News: “Unlocking phosphorus to fuel plant growth”.
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February 2025: Aristilde Lab research is featured in Science News Explores: “Some bacteria in wastewater can break down a common plastic”.
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February 2025: Aristilde Lab research is featured in The Daily Northwestern: “Aristilde Lab publishes discoveries about plastic-eating bacteria, soil “.
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Feburary 2025: Just accepted manuscript in Green Chemistry. Led by the Angenent Lab of the University of Tuebingen in Germany. Postdoc Dr Nanqing Zhou of the Aristilde Lab contributed to this collaborative work.
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Feburary 2025: Just accepted manuscript in Environmental Science and Technology. Led by former PhD student Dr Jade Basinski, with contributions from current PhD student Aurore Niyitanga Manzi, current postdoc Dr Nasrin Naderi Beni, former undergraduate researchers Marcos Sanchez and Cynthia Cheng, and former postdoc Dr Wiriya Thongsomboon.
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December 2024: Ph.D. student Jade Basinski sucesssfully defends her thesis, “Elucidating Iron Oxide-Catalyzed Phosphorus Recycling from Nucleotides by Combining Multiple Spectroscopic Analyses with Molecular Simulations”. Congratulations Dr. Basinski!.
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December 2024: Prof Aristilde is featured in Northwestern McCormmick Engineering Magazine: “Soil Secrets”.
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October 2024: Live Interview with Prof. Aristilde on WGN News Chicago: “Research into Reducing Plastic Pollution”.
October 2024: The Chicago Sun Times features Prof Aristilde and Aristilde group members: “At this Northwestern professor’s lab, plastic-eating microbes show promise to gobble up microplastics in nature”.
October 2024: The Washington Post interviews Prof Aristilde and Aristilde group members on their recent publication in Environmental Science and Technology: “Plastic-eating bacteria could combat pollution problems, scientists hope”.
October 2024: ACS Science Releases on recent publication in Environmental Science and Technology: “Plastic-eating enzyme identified in wastewater microbes”.
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October 2024: Northwestern University News on recent publication in Environmental Science and Technology: “Wastewater bacteria can break down plastic for food”.
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September 2024: Just accepted manuscript in Environmental Science and Technology. Co-first authored by postdocs Dr Rebecca Wilkes and Dr Nanqing Zhou, with contributions from several group members: graduate researchers Ojaswi Aryal, Rebecca Wilson, and Arushi Kapoor; undergrad researchers Kelly Teitel and Edgar Castaneda.
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September 2024: We welcome Dominique Kelly as a new PhD student, co-advised with Prof. Magdalena Osburn. Dominique is interested on the mechanisms of microbial adaptation to nutrient stress.
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September 2024: We welcome Parker Deptula as a new PhD student, co-advised with Prof. George Wells. Parker is interested on optimizing engineered systems for carbon and nutrient recovery.
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July 2024: ACS Chemical and Engineering News Magazine covers 8-year journey of Prof. Aristilde and her team on uncovering a missing piece in the phosphorus cycle: “Natural minerals catalyze phosphorus cycling”.
July 2024: Northwestern University News on recent publication in Nature Communications: “Minerals Play Newly Discovered Role in Earth’s Phosphorus Cycle”.
July 2024: New article in Nature Communications. Led by PhD student Jade Basinski and contributions from former postdocs Dr Annaleise Klein and Dr Wiriya Thomgsonboon. Collaboration from the Greg Druschnel’s lab (Indiana University) and Aaron Thompson’s lab (University of Georgia).
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July 2024: Just accepted article in Environmental Science and Technology Letters. Collaborative research led by Matthew Reid’s Lab from Cornell University.
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July 2024: We welcome Cara Flynn, our newest PhD student, who will be working the biochemistry of plastic recycling. Welcome Cara!.
.
July 2024: We welcome back Rebecca, graduate M.S. student and now our newest research assistant, who will be working the metabolomics of nutrient deficiency in agricultural soils. Welcome back Rebecca!.
.
June 2024: We welcome Maggie Schneider, DeFeO undergraduate fellow, who will be conducting research enzymes in nutrient cycling. Welcome Maggie!.
.
June 2024: We welcome James Belgrave, SynBio REU student for the summer, who is working on bacterial conversion of lignin compounds. Welcome James!.
.
June 2024: Just published article in Nature Communications. Led by Dr Ashty Karim of the Northwestern Center for Synthetic Biology and Prof. Julius Lucks of the Lucks Lab of Northwestern Chemical and Biological Engineering.
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June 2024: Northwestern University News on recent publication in Environmental Science and Technology: “Soil Bacteria Expel More CO2 after Eating Non-Sugar Carbons”.
May 2024: Just accepted manuscript in Environmental Science and Technology. Led by graduated PhD student Dr Caroll Mendonca, with collaboration from the Waldbauer lab at the University of Chicago.
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