Join

Thanks for your interest in our group.  

• We can accept 1-2 incoming UW M.S. or Ph.D. students into our group in the 2025-2026 academic year (Updated Sept 2025).

• We can accept 1-2 new ChemE, MolE., and/or BioE Ph.D. students in the 2026-2027 academic year (Updated Sept 2025). 

• Please e-mail Prof. Carothers: jcaroth@uw.edu for details.

Projects in microbial and cell-free systems engineering will be available for prospective students to join: 

• "CRISPR-microSPLiT: Scalable Single-Cell Discovery for Industrial Microbes and Synthetic Biology"

• "Dual CRISPR Systems for Modular Gene Control and Bioproduction"

• "Model-Guided Design Across Microbial and Cell-Free Systems"

We are especially interested in hearing from people with interest and/or experience in:

• • CRISPR-Cas genetic control systems

  • RNA aptamer-based biosensors and genetic regulators

  • Metabolic engineering (pathway construction and optimization)

  • Model and data-driven microbial engineering

  • Cell-free synthetic biology

Undergraduates should email Prof. Carothers at jcaroth@uw.edu with:  

We are NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW UNDERGRADUATES

• • Your willingness to commit to laboratory research for 6-10 hours per week for at least two consecutive quarters.

  • 2-3 sentence description of you current and future goals

  • 2-3 sentence description of your research experience 

  • 2-3 sentence explanation of your interest in our work

Graduate students should first gain admission to one of the University of Washington M.S. or Ph.D. programs.  Please see the department websites for information about admissions.  

• • UW Chemical Engineering:  http://www.cheme.washington.edu/graduate_students/prosp_grad/about.html

  • UW Bioengineering Ph.D. admissions: https://bioe.uw.edu/academic-programs/phd/

  • UW Molecular Engineering: https://www.moles.washington.edu/landing/phd/

Postdoc candidates should send application materials to jcaroth@uw.edu and include:

• • CV or resume (with a list of publications and presentations)

  • A brief description of your current and future research interests

  • The names of 3 references 

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