Michael Jewett

Michael Jewett is an Adjunct Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering. His research focuses on synthetic biology, cell-free systems, and glycosylation engineering. He leads the Jewett Lab, which develops novel biomanufacturing platforms and therapeutics. Dr. Jewett holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and has pioneered methods in cell-free protein synthesis, ribosome engineering, and scalable biocatalyst design.

Education:

• Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University (2005)
• M.S. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
• B.S. Chemical Engineering with Bioengineering specialization, UCLA (summa cum laude)

Research Interests:

Dr. Jewett's work spans synthetic biology applications in healthcare and environmental sustainability. Key areas include:
- Cell-free systems for rapid prototyping of biological parts
- Engineering ribosomes for novel functions
- Glycoengineering for biopharmaceuticals
- Development of diagnostic biosensors
- Biomanufacturing innovations using modular platforms

Grants & Labs:

• Director of the Jewett Lab at Stanford/NU
• Recipient of multiple NIH and DOE grants
• Collaborates with industry partners on scalable bioproduction

Labs focus on translating fundamental discoveries into real-world applications like vaccines, diagnostics, and sustainable chemicals.