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Center for Synthetic Biology (CSB) faculty member Ashty Karim shares how a winding path—fueled by curiosity, community, and creativity—led to his dream job in synthetic biology.

For Ashty Karim, PhD, taking the road less traveled didn’t mean losing his way—it led him straight to the faculty position of his dreams.

Now an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern, Karim grew up outside Austin, Texas, where his early interests in chemistry and biology collided. “In late high school and early college, I fell in love with the idea that we could manipulate the molecules inside living systems to create something new,” he says.

That fascination led him to the University of Texas at Austin for undergrad, and in 2013, to Northwestern for his PhD in chemical engineering—drawn by both the research and the people. “What brought me here was the promise that Northwestern would become a hub for synthetic biology,” he recalls. “Even though the Center for Synthetic Biology didn’t yet exist, Mike [Jewett] mentioned the plans for the Center were in motion. That vision—and his energy—convinced me.”

Karim joined Jewett’s lab to work on cell-free systems, a now-groundbreaking approach that removes the constraints of living organisms to enable more direct biological engineering. This approach has helped pioneer advances like on-demand biomanufacturing and fast, field-ready diagnostics.

When CSB formally launched in 2016, Karim was deep in his graduate work—and at a crossroads. The traditional path to a faculty role involves a postdoc at a new institution to gain fresh perspectives. Karim started down that route, reaching out to potential advisors, but paused. “I had so many roots in Chicago—professionally and personally,” he says. “Could I keep doing great research, mentoring students, and building something meaningful if I stayed?”

He wrote out his dream job. After many conversations and, he notes, “a lot of therapy,” he decided to remain at Northwestern.

Creating Community in CSB

Karim continued in Jewett’s lab as a postdoc, then a Research Assistant Professor, taking on growing responsibilities in lab leadership and grant writing. At the same time, he became a driving force in shaping CSB’s culture. “Each lab took on the challenge of building community,” he says. “We’d host monthly happy hours, start journal clubs, and even bring in outside speakers—including the FBI.”

With others, Karim helped launch an NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program to train graduate students across disciplines in synthetic biology. He also co-developed a new course offering a multi-scale view of the field—from molecules to cells to society.

When their NRT proposal was funded, Karim’s role expanded again. In 2022, he became the first Director of Research for CSB, helping manage the Center’s rapid growth, deepen faculty connections, and guide curriculum and workshop development—all while continuing his research.

“I kept leaning into opportunities as they came,” he says. “I tried not to let the conventional academic path define what success should look like.”

When Opportunity Meets Preparation

In 2023, just as Jewett accepted a faculty position at Stanford, a tenure-track opening in Northwestern’s chemical and biological engineering department appeared. By that point, Karim had built a research portfolio, led successful grant proposals, and mentored countless students. He applied—and got the job.

Today, his lab sits at the intersection of synthetic biology and process engineering, working to translate bio-based innovations into scalable solutions. “We’re engineering proteins and processes to enable more sustainable manufacturing,” Karim explains. “That includes extracting critical resources—like rare earth elements—from waste streams, which are essential for clean energy, materials, and national security. The demand for these elements is growing rapidly and is expected to exceed the current supply by as early as 2035, so we will need every available technology to tackle this problem.”

Advice for Aspiring Academics

Karim is candid about the challenges of forging a nontraditional academic path. “Talk to people. Ask questions. Consider whether there’s a different kind of role that aligns with your values,” he says. “And yes—go to therapy,” he adds. “When your identity is so tied to your work, detaching can be hard. But you’re a human first. People are what matter most.”

Games, Joy, and the Best Science

Outside of the lab, Karim finds joy in a different kind of design—board games. A longtime enthusiast, he’s attended gaming conventions and names Spirit Island and Arkham Horror The Card Game among his favorites. Lately, he’s been exploring 3D printing to enhance his board game experiences. He’s considering creating a synthetic biology-themed board game of his own.

“Games use a different part of my brain,” he says. “They’re structured, creative, and fun. The best science feels like that too—when you’re playing with ideas and still learning something, even if the results aren’t what you expected.”

by Lisa La Vallee