Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are found in common household and industrial products. These toxic and/or carcinogenic compounds such as toluene, benzene and styrene are difficult to detect and pers...
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The three-dimensional structure of proteins can be studied in solution using various methods of covalent and noncovalent labeling in which the readout is accomplished by mass spectrometry (MS). These ...
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Mass spectrometry is a highly selective and quantitative technique that is widely used to determine the chemical composition of a sample. Applications of this analytical tool include measuring isotope...
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Semiconductor nanowire lasers are promising building blocks in state-of-the-art photonic and optoelectronic devices due to their advantageous properties – including ultracompact size, efficient wave...
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An optical resonator is an arrangement of optical components that allows a beam of light to circulate in a closed path. Nanoresonators are a type of optical resonator that can effectively concentrate ...
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A Fresnel lens or ‘zone plate’ is a type of compact lens made of concentric rings that alternate between opaque and transparent materials. The design is lighter and smaller than conventional lense...
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Regenerative medicine requires a practical, high throughput method of assessing the cellular components of multicellular entities before transplantation. Such a method would have many clinical and res...
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Label-free sensing methods could enable detection and characterization of chemical species at the single molecule level without the aid of probes or modifications to the target of interest. Such capab...
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Cellular ecology is a major factor in processes like cell signaling and transport as well as in the development and progression of systemic diseases like cancer. In situ, in vitro studies are becoming...
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Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to generate copies of a particular DNA sequence. The technique is common and indispensable in many research applications. Unfortunately, methods for isolating/p...
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Measuring biomolecular interactions is a critical component in studies focused on nucleic acid and protein binding. For instance, in the pharmaceutical industry, it is crucial in the drug discovery an...
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Many laser applications require multiple, simultaneous laser beams, each with a specific wavelength. But using multiple lasers and associated optical components increases the cost and size of the syst...
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Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cells shed from tumor deposits that flow into the bloodstream. They are detected at a frequency of about one CTC per one billion surrounding blood cells. The great h...
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Mass spectrometers are analytical instruments that can precisely measure the mass of molecules to determine their composition and identity. Generally, the molecules are ionized and then accelerated by...
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In the past decade, cataloguing the thousands of proteins present in a cell using mass spectrometry (MS) has matured into a procedure both deeply vital and straightforward. Yet discovering how such mo...
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Single molecule spectroscopy and microscopy – a popular tool for biological, biophysical and chemical characterization – generally requires the use of fluorescent molecules. Researchers at UW–M...
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Studying molecular properties in complex chemical and biological samples, including live cells, requires sufficient spatial resolution and contrast between different substructures. To achieve enhanced...
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Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are semiconductor lasers that provide light in the mid- and far-infrared wavelength ranges. They are designed so that the generated light is transverse-magnetic (TM) pola...
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Atomically sharp micro-fabricated tips are used in atomic force microscopy (AFM) for scanning near-field microwave microscopy (SNMM) to create an image of the tiny topography on or under a surface. Th...
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Proteins contain carboxyl groups. These charged groups make it difficult for any protein to enter a human (or other eukaryotic) cell. Modifying proteins to enter cells could revolutionize medicine, e....
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Germanium (Ge), a group-IV semiconductor material, is crucial to many established and potential technologies. In optoelectronics, Ge has been used as a photodetector material for on-chip data distribu...
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The ability to study single cells has become indispensable, helping researchers identify characteristics and behaviors otherwise hidden using population averages. By obtaining multiple measures per ce...
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A whispering gallery mode (WGM) is a type of electromagnetic wave that travels around a concave surface. Such waves can propagate at the edge of a very small structure called an optical microcavity. W...
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Exhaust emission and fuel economy standards have put increased pressure on the auto industry to improve the efficiency of internal combustion engines. While higher standards help protect the environme...
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Spectrometers are optical instruments used to measure light. They work by detecting spectral lines and measuring their wavelength or intensity. Spectrometers have many applications, including telecomm...
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