Arthur B Prindle

Arthur B Prindle is an Associate Professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology-Immunology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment in McCormick School of Engineering. His research integrates synthetic biology and quantitative approaches to study collective behaviors in microbial communities.

Education:

• PhD: University of California, San Diego (2014)
• Postdoctoral Fellow: University of California, San Diego, Molecular Biology (2016)

Prindle's lab investigates molecular mechanisms of cell communication in biofilms using synthetic biology, microfluidics, and quantitative microscopy. Research focuses on engineering microbial communities for biomedical applications including inflammatory bowel disease detection, respiratory health improvement, and cancer biomarker discovery. The group develops "smart" biofilms capable of environmental detoxification and disease sensing through electrochemical signaling pathways.

Recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate interdisciplinary work spanning microbiome engineering, bacterial pathogenesis, and diagnostic tool development. Key themes include microbiome manipulation for therapeutic applications, multi-omics approaches to disease biomarkers, and fundamental studies of bacterial communication systems.

Scientific Awards:

• NSF CAREER Award
• U.S. Army Research Office Early Career Award
• Pew Biomedical Scholar (2019)
• Packard Fellowship (2018, $875,000)

Prindle leads an active research group supported by NSF, Army Research Office, and Packard Foundation grants. His lab recruits postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and undergraduates for projects combining computational modeling with experimental synthetic biology. Current initiatives include developing engineered probiotics for human disease surveillance and exploring bacterial electrochemical signaling networks.

The Prindle Lab operates within Northwestern's Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics and collaborates with the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. Located in the Simpson Querrey Research Building, the team utilizes custom microfluidic devices and advanced imaging to characterize metabolic and electrochemical dynamics in microbial communities.