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Category: Research

Scientists use molecular tethers and chemical "˜light sabers' to construct platforms for tissue engineering

May 20, 2019

In a paper published May 20 in the journal Nature Materials, a research team led by MolES faculty member Cole DeForest unveiled a new strategy to keep proteins intact and functional in synthetic biomaterials for tissue engineering. Their approach modifies proteins at a specific point so that they can be chemically tethered to the scaffold using light. Since the tether can also be cut by laser light, this method can create evolving patterns of signal proteins throughout a biomaterial scaffold to grow tissues made up of different types of cells. [...]

Breakthroughs in 3D organ printing detailed in Science Magazine

May 3, 2019

Bioengineers have cleared a major hurdle on the path to 3D printing replacement organs with a breakthrough technique for bioprinting tissues. A research team led by MolES faculty member Kelly Stevens, assistant professor of bioengineering and investigator at the UW Medicine Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, has created exquisitely entangled vascular networks that mimic the body's natural passageways for blood, air, lymph and other vital fluids. The team published its findings May 3 in the journal Science. Their research was also featured in Newsweek, Forbes, among other outlets. [...]

MolES Director Pat Stayton developing targeted ‘radical cure’ for malaria

April 22, 2019

A research team led by University of Washington (UW) Distinguished Career Professor of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering & Sciences (MolES) Institute Director Patrick Stayton has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a new therapeutic for the radical cure (prevention of relapse) of malaria. [...]

Synthetic peptide can inhibit toxicity, aggregation of protein in Alzheimer's disease, researchers show

April 19, 2019

A team led by MolES faculty member and bioengineering Professor Valerie Daggett has developed synthetic peptides that target and inhibit the small, toxic protein aggregates that are thought to trigger Alzheimer's disease. Dylan Shea, a molecular engineering PhD student in the Daggett lab, was the lead author on a new paper describing these findings, published April 19 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [...]

New method to assess platelet health could help ER doctors

March 14, 2019

A research team at the University of Washington, including MolES faculty member Nathan Sniadecki, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has created a novel system that can measure platelet function within two minutes and can help doctors determine which trauma patients might need a blood transfusion upon being admitted to a hospital. The team published its results March 13 in Nature Communications. [...]

Computer-designed vaccine elicits potent antibodies to RSV

March 8, 2019

A recent publication from the Institute for Protein Design, located in the MolES building, describes a nanoparticle platform developed for a respiratory syncytial virus study that will also be applied to vaccine research on flu, HIV, and more. Seattle startup Icosavax will advance related clinical trials. [...]

It's all in the twist: Physicists stack 2D materials at angles to trap particles on the nanoscale, creating a unique platform to study quantum optical physics

February 26, 2019

Future technologies based on the principles of quantum mechanics could revolutionize information technology. But to realize the devices of tomorrow, today's physicists must develop precise and reliable platforms to trap and manipulate quantum-mechanical particles. In a paper published Feb. 25 in the journal Nature, a team of physicists led by MolES faculty member Xiaodong Xu, a Boeing Distinguished Professor of both physics and materials science and engineering, reports the development of a new system to trap individual excitons. [...]

Three awards from US Department of Energy to fuel UW solar cell research

January 16, 2019

Three teams led by University of Washington researchers have received competitive awards totaling more than $2.3 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office for projects that will advance research and development in photovoltaic materials, which are an essential component of solar cells and impact the amount of sunlight that is converted into electricity. Two of the UW teams are led by MolES faculty members Scott Dunham, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and Hugh Hillhouse, a professor of chemical engineering. [...]

Scientists design protein filaments that snap themselves together like Lego blocks

November 8, 2018

Hao Shen, a molecular engineering PhD candidate in the lab of biochemistry Professor David Baker, was a lead author of a study published in Science describing the creation of self-assembling protein filaments from scratch. The filaments were built from identical protein subunits that snap together spontaneously to form long, helical, thread-like structures which could be used to create new materials for a range of applications, from diagnostics to nano-electronics. Learn more in a related Geekwire story! [...]

Hybrid optics bring color imaging using ultrathin metalenses into focus

February 13, 2018

In a paper published Feb. 9 in Science Advances, scientists at the University of Washington announced that they have successfully combined two different imaging methods "” a type of lens designed for nanoscale interaction with lightwaves, along with robust computational processing "” to create full-color images. [...]

UW team develops fast, cheap method to make supercapacitor electrodes for electric cars, high-powered lasers

July 18, 2017

University of Washington researchers have developed a fast, inexpensive method to make electrodes for supercapacitors, with applications in electric cars, wireless telecommunications and high-powered lasers. [...]

Light-based chemistry to manipulate stem cells

September 28, 2015

Professor Cole DeForest is researching new ways to coerce stem cells into transforming into other cell types. Ultimately, his research could make huge impacts in medicine by engineering organs and tissues to combat heart disease. DeForest is an assistant professor of chemical engineering and a member of the Molecular Engineering & Sciences institute faculty. Read more at [...]

Interdisciplinary MolES team programs yeast cells to say "˜Hello'!

July 1, 2015

A team of University of Washington researchers has engineered yeast cells that can "talk" to one another, using a versatile plant hormone called auxin. [...]

MolES researchers build energy efficient nanolaser

March 25, 2015

University of Washington scientists have built a new nanometer-sized laser "” using the thinnest semiconductor available today "” that is energy efficient, easy to build and compatible with existing electronics. The ultra-thin semiconductor is about 100,000 times thinner than a human hair. [...]

MolES Researchers Craft Thinnest Possible Semiconductor

August 28, 2014

Faculty and student researchers at the UW Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute are emerging as leaders in the fast-growing field of 2D materials. Physics professors David Cobden and Xiadong Xu study the characteristics of single sheets of atomically thin material. These single-layer materials, also known as monolayers, are flexible, and act as semiconductors with extraordinary electronic [...]

MolES research lab collaboration leads to cancer fighting therapy

June 23, 2014

Results of collaborative research from the Institute for Protein Design, Stayton Lab and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center published in CELL magazine. It's been said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but recent research at the University of Washington Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute may prove that close proximity is the recipe for success. [...]

On-demand vaccines possible with engineered nanoparticles | UW TNews

January 9, 2014

Michelle Ma Vaccines combat diseases and protect populations from outbreaks, but the life-saving technology leaves room for improvement. Vaccines usually are made en masse in centralized locations far removed from where they will be used. They are expensive to ship and keep refrigerated and they tend to have short shelf lives. University of Washington engineers [...]

Seelig/Klavins team develops programming language to build synthetic DNA

October 14, 2013

From UW Today: UW engineers invent programming language to build synthetic DNA Michelle Ma Similar to using Python or Java to write code for a computer, chemists soon could be able to use a structured set of instructions to "program" how DNA molecules interact in a test tube or cell. A team led [...]

David Ginger’s synthetic polymer for solar cell applications

August 8, 2013

Regulating electron "˜spin' may be key to making organic solar cells competitive Vince Stricherz Organic solar cells that convert light to electricity using carbon-based molecules have shown promise as a versatile energy source but have not been able to match the efficiency of their silicon-based counterparts. Now, researchers have discovered a synthetic, high-performance polymer that [...]

Engineered biomaterial could improve success of medical implants

May 15, 2013

University of Washington engineers have created a synthetic substance that fully resists the body's natural attack response to foreign objects. Medical devices such as artificial heart valves, prostheses and breast implants could be coated with this polymer to prevent the body from rejecting an implanted object. [...]