Carolyn Mills

Carolyn Mills is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, specializing in molecular engineering of proteins for spatial organization in biological systems with applications in plastic remediation and oral vaccine delivery.

Education:

• PhD, Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• BS, Chemical Engineering, UC Santa Barbara

Her research integrates protein engineering, synthetic biology, and polymer science to manipulate spatial organization. Key focus areas include bacterial microcompartments for PET waste remediation, liquid-liquid phase separation characterization using cell-free systems, anaerobic platforms for lignin breakdown, and probiotic-based oral vaccine delivery using virus-like particles. The Mills Lab employs high-throughput screening and cell-free protein synthesis to develop closed-loop plastic degradation systems and low-cost vaccine scaffolds.

Recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate consistent innovation in protein self-assembly mechanisms, bacterial organelle engineering, and environmental/medical applications, with strong emphasis on scalable solutions for plastic pollution and global vaccine access.

Scientific awards:

• Distinguished Postdoctoral Service Award, Northwestern University

Dr. Mills leads collaborative projects with Prof. Michelle O'Malley and ExFAB (UCSB's NSF Biofoundry), focusing on anaerobic fungal pathways. Her lab bridges fundamental protein dynamics with real-world applications in environmental sustainability and biomedical engineering through engineered spatial organization strategies.