RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
The Department of Chemistry manages a research portfolio of $28 million (FY25), supported by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, industry sponsors, and foundations. The Department is the home to two major NSF funded interdisciplinary centers: the Center for Integration of Modern Optoelectronic Materials on Demand (IMOD) and the UW Molecular Engineering Materials Center (MEM-C). Together, these centers fuel collaborative research in the Department of Chemistry, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Engineering, while also supporting student travel, shared instrumentation, and professional and educational training. In addition, many Chemistry faculty are active members of the UW Clean Energy Institute (CEI), the UW Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute (MolES), and the joint UW-PNNL Northwest Institute for Materials Physics, Chemistry and Technology (NW IMPACT), further expanding opportunities for cross-disciplinary research and training.
Faculty research highlights include:
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Theberge and Sniadecki (BioE) developed a 3D-printed device known as STOMP (Suspended Tissue Open Microfluidic Patterning) that provides tissue engineers with the ability to examine how cells respond to various mechanical and physical cues, while creating distinct regions in a suspended tissue (Advanced Science).
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Vaughan and Chiu developed a highly multiplexed fluorescence microscopy method using semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) in a single round of staining and imaging. Pdots are small, bright, and photostable fluorescent probes with a wide range of tunable Stokes shifts (20 to 450 nanometers). Multiple series of Pdots with varying excitation wavelengths allow for fast (<1 minute) and single-round imaging of up to 21 targets in the brain and kidney. This method is based on a simple immunofluorescence workflow, efficient use of spectral space, standard hardware, and straightforward analysis, making it widely applicable for bioimaging laboratories (Advanced Science).
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Zalatan and Carothers (ChemE) correlate efficacy of modified guide RNAs (scRNAs) for CRISPR activation in E. coli with a computational kinetic parameter describing scRNA folding rate into the active structure. This RNA design approach aids combinatorial optimization of metabolic pathways and may accelerate routine design of effective multi-gene regulation programs in bacterial hosts (Nature Communications).
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Lalic developed a novel approach for synthesizing tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes through the catalytic coupling of terminal alkynes with alkylboranes and organohalides. The unique reaction mechanism ties the relative positioning of substituents in the alkene products to specific coupling partners that deliver them, enabling the efficient and precise generation of multiple isomers of tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes from readily available precursors (JACS).
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Velian developed an atomically precise Fe/Co/Se nanocluster platform in which allosteric interadsorbate effects give rise to pronounced site-differentiation. This study provides an unprecedented atom-scale glimpse into how interfacial metal–support interactions mediate a collective and regiospecific path for substrate exchange across multiple active sites (ACS Central Science).
Areas of Research
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Analytical chemistry
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Bioanalytical chemistry
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Bioinorganic chemistry
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Bioorganic chemistry
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Biophysical chemistry
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Catalysis
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Chemical biology
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Chemical data science
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Chemistry education
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Clean energy
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Computational chemistry
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Electronic spectroscopy
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Inorganic chemistry
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Laser spectroscopy
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Mass spectrometry
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Materials chemistry
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Nanotechnology
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NMR spectroscopy
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Opto-electronics
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Organic chemistry
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Organic materials
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Organic synthesis
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Photonics
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Physical chemistry
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Polymers
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Surface science
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Theoretical chemistry
SUPPORT CHEMISTRY
Private philanthropy plays a vital role in advancing our education, research, and training missions. We are deeply grateful to our donors who provide annual support through the Friends of Chemistry Fund and to those who have established endowments that sustain our work over the long term. These gifts fund student scholarships and fellowships, conference travel, and the recruitment of outstanding students and faculty – support that cannot be provided by state funding alone. We invite you to join our community of alumni and friends by making a tax-deductible gift to the Department of Chemistry. Please contact us if we can be of assistance.