A team headed by Xiangfeng Duan, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and a CNSI member, is advancing photonics — energy-efficient technologies that use particles of light in place of the electrons used in electronics — for applications such as artificial intelligence and image capture. The team will explore ways to improve signal processing using two-dimensional materials, which are arranged in layers only a few atoms thick and derive special qualities from quantum mechanics.

Paul Boutros, professor of human genetics and of urology, is pushing forward a technology that may result in a comprehensive, fast and inexpensive genetic test that predicts which cases of prostate cancer will be aggressive, which is a current challenge in treating the disease. The core idea is to combine all existing genetic assessments for prostate cancer in a single test.

A team focused on furthering treatment approaches for prostate cancer that employ engineered T cells of the immune system is helmed by Dino Di Carlo, the Armond and Elena Hairapetian Professor of Engineering and Medicine. Applying his technology for sorting single cells and capturing their secretions, the researchers are developing a method to quickly screen T cells for potency in targeting a protein specific to prostate tumor cells.

Sam Emaminejad, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, is heading up an effort to create inexpensive wearable sensors for precision drug dosing. The devices are designed to measure levels of compounds in the body painlessly from the fluid that fills the spaces between cells, and communicate the results wirelessly. Monitoring of this type for patients prescribed antibiotics has the potential to reduce both harmful side e ects and drug resistance in microbes.

Neil Lin, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and of bioengineering, leads a collaboration aspiring to advance research into neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and brain cancer. The investigators are using artificial intelligence to help brain organoids, lab-grown tissue used to study these conditions, better mimic processes of the actual human brain.

Jennifer Murphy, an associate professor of molecular and medical pharmacology, heads up a project designed to enhance CAR T cell therapy, an innovative treatment for blood cancers in which a patient’s own cells are re-engineered to fight cancer. It’s currently difficult to monitor the persistence of therapeutic cells in the body — a key indicator of the treatment’s success. Addressing this need, Murphy and her colleagues are working on a technique for labeling the cancer-fighting T cells so that they can be seen in a PET scan.

A project helmed by Qibing Pei, a professor of materials science and engineering, aims to improve positron emission tomography, commonly known as the PET scan. This imaging technology has health applications such as diagnosing cancer and monitoring the progress of its treatment. The researchers are using nanoscale semiconductor particles called quantum dots on a specialized polymer in a bid to dramatically increase the speed and resolution of PET scans.

Chao Peng, assistant professor neurology, leads a collaboration examining a specific protein that is misfolded (albeit in different ways) in multiple neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Lewy-body dementia and about half of Alzheimer’s cases. Combining mathematical modeling with state-of-the-art screening methods, Peng and his colleagues want to create new knowledge about the different forms this protein can take, and how the misfolding spreads in the brain. The team’s findings could provide the foundation for new therapies.

Shimon Weiss, the Dean M. Willard Professor of Chemistry, heads up a team advancing drug discovery against COVID-19. The researchers are developing methods for molecular screening with the goal of producing insights into a specific protein that is vital for the reproduction of SARS-CoV-2 and viruses like it — and ultimately identifying ways to disrupt the process.

A collaboration seeking to improve solar cell technology is led by Xiangfeng Duan, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry. The project takes advantage of van der Waals forces — which control phenomena such as water droplet formation with attraction or repulsion between molecules at very short range — and the special, quantum mechanics-based capabilities shown by certain atomically thin “two-dimensional” materials. With these tools, Duan and his teammates hope to boost the overall efficiency with which solar cells convert sunlight to electricity.

Aaswath Raman, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering, heads up a team developing technology that could lower energy use in buildings. Windows account for up to 30% of buildings’ energy needs for heating and cooling, so the researchers’ goal is to produce a gel, combining solid and gas, that could be applied to windows as a transparent, thin film and redirect the outward flow of heat straight up to the sky.

Aaswath Raman, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering, heads up a team developing technology that could lower energy use in buildings. Windows account for up to 30% of buildings’ energy needs for heating and cooling, so the researchers’ goal is to produce a gel, combining solid and gas, that could be applied to windows as a transparent, thin film and redirect the outward flow of heat straight up to the sky.