School of Engineering


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  • Matteo Cargnello

    Matteo Cargnello

    Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy and Associate Professor, by courtesy, of Materials Science and Engineering

    BioMatteo Cargnello received his Ph.D. in Nanotechnology in 2012 at the University of Trieste, Italy, under the supervision of Prof. Paolo Fornasiero, and he was then a post-doctoral scholar in the Chemistry Department at the University of Pennsylvania with Prof. Christopher B. Murray before joining the Faculty at Stanford University in January 2015. He is currently Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and, by courtesy, of Materials Science and Engineering and Silas Palmer Faculty Scholar. Dr. Cargnello is the recipient of several awards including the Sloan Fellowship in 2018, the Mitsui Chemicals Catalysis Science Award for Creative Work in 2020, and the Early Career Award in Catalysis from the ACS Catalysis Division in 2022. The general goals of the research in the Cargnello group pertain to solving energy and environmental challenges. The group focuses on capture and conversion of carbon dioxide, emission control and reduction of methane and hydrocarbon emissions in the atmosphere, sustainable chemical practices through electro- and photocatalysis, sustainable production of hydrogen, and chemical recycling of plastics.

  • Lynette Cegelski

    Lynette Cegelski

    Monroe E. Spaght Professor of Chemistry and Professor, by courtesy, of Chemical Engineering

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur laboratory uncovers the chemical principles that organize living systems. Across biology - from microbial communities to human disease - chemical and macromolecular composition, molecular interactions, and chemical modifications govern the assembly, function, and persistence of complex biological systems, yet many of these principles remain hidden from conventional approaches. We develop innovative chemical, structural, and biological strategies to preserve and interrogate intact biological systems, revealing chemistry that cannot be observed by studying isolated components alone. Our work has uncovered previously unknown molecular structures, chemical modifications, and mechanisms of biological organization, including the discovery of phosphoethanolamine (pEtN) cellulose, a chemically modified form of cellulose that fundamentally changed our understanding of bacterial extracellular matrices.

    In parallel, we discover and engineer molecules that probe, disrupt, and control biological systems. A major focus is the development of new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance and persistent bacterial communities. Our laboratory has introduced first-in-class vancomycin conjugates with multiple modes of action, unusually broad-spectrum activity, and the ability to sterilize biofilms - properties not observed together in other vancomycin conjugates. We also develop anti-biofilm agents, molecular probes, imaging agents, and other chemical tools that both reveal new biology and provide starting points for addressing pressing challenges in human health and disease.

    Together, our research spans fundamental chemical discovery and molecular invention: uncovering the chemistry that enables biological systems to assemble and persist, and using those insights to create new ways to interrogate and control them. This work opens opportunities to combat infectious disease, improve human health, preserve marine ecosystems, advance sustainable materials, and deepen our understanding of how chemistry organizes life.

  • Jennifer R. Cochran

    Jennifer R. Cochran

    Vice President for SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and for Strategic Initiatives, Addie and Al Macovski Professor, Professor of Bioengineering and, by courtesy, of Chemical Engineering

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMolecular Engineering, Protein Therapeutics, Cancer Therapeutics, Protein Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Cell Engineering, Molecular Imaging, Drug Delivery, Chemical Biology