Physical Genomics Training Program
As part of CPGE’s commitment to training the next generation of bioengineering leaders, the Center has launched the Physical Genomics Training Program (PGTP). Supported by a T32 grant from the National Institutes of Health, the program provides tuition and financial support for predoctoral projects that bridge molecular biology, bioengineering, physics, optics, chemistry, and medicine and promotes joint research between the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and other Northwestern University Schools.
Job Opportunities at CPGE
About the Center
Through a combination of breakthrough optical imaging and computational genomics, the Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE) focuses on studying and manipulating chromatin structure, which regulates gene expression, in order to treat disease and engineer living systems to overcome environmental challenges.
The Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering is part of the McCormick School of Engineering.
Our Strengths
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Education
Discover mentorship programs, symposia, and opportunities for gaining practical experience available to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
Knowledge Transfer
Find out how the center trains the next generation of scientists and engineers through cross-disciplinary platforms.
What is Physical Genomics?
Physical genomics is a new field that involves understanding the structure, function, and fundamental principles of the genome. With this understanding, researchers can reversibly regulate, control, and even reprogram global patterns of gene expression.
The Next Frontier in Biological Discovery
"The impact of this emerging field could be widespread: ranging from treating diseases to improving crop yields and mitigating the impact of climate change on plants."
-- Vadim Backman, Director of Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering
News & Events
News
Agential Topics by Agential Biology Institute
In an invited talk organized by Agential Biology Institute Dr Vadim Backman spoke about the computational properties of the genome, including chromatin and, his specialty in epigenetics and genetics.
New CPGE Research Published in Biophysical Journal
Chromatin domains, boundaries, and contact enrichments are often interpreted as fixed structural entities, even though most experimental measurements are averaged over large and heterogeneous cell populations. A new modeling framework developed at Northwestern’s Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering, SR-EV, and published this month in Biophysical Journal shows that many of these features can be understood as emerging from minimal geometric rules combined with ensemble-level bias, without requiring explicit molecular interactions or deterministic folding mechanisms. By distinguishing single-configuration heterogeneity from ensemble-level statistical organization – including the emergence of chromatin packing domains– SR-EV supports an interpretation in which chromatin organization is realized in individual cells but must be analyzed through ensembles. This perspective clarifies the probabilistic nature of genome architecture and provides a tractable reference framework for interpreting multimodal genomic and imaging data.
New CPGE pre-print on Biorxiv: Gene transcription and chromatin packing domains form a self-organizing system
The human genome organizes into several thousand chromatin packing domains that couple euchromatin and heterochromatin into unified nanoscale volumes. Prior work suggested these domains form by transcriptionally driven loops that guide packing domain assembly. Here, we study the process of transcriptionally driven domain formation and maintenance.
Genome’s 3D Shape: A Living Computer that Enabled Complex Life
New research reveals the second language of the human genome – one not written in its chemical letters but in its physical shape.
Events
The Monthly Seminar on Physical Genomics: Biochemical, Metabolic,...
July 31
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Welcome & Breakfast for New McCormick PhD Students
September 14
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Welcome & Luncheon for New Full-time Graduate Students
September 22
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM