California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA

February 17, 2026 | Nanoparticle-based gene editing could expand treatment options for cystic fibrosis - California NanoSystems Institute FEATURED NEWS California NanoSystems Institute > Faculty News > February 17, 2026 | Nanoparticle-based gene editing could expand treatment options for cystic fibrosis Nanoparticle-based gene editing c...

UCLA researchers led by @cnsiatucla.bsky.social member Steven Jonas (@uclastemcell.bsky.social) developed lipid nanoparticles that deliver a full CFTR gene into airway cells, restoring function in a cystic fibrosis model. CNSI’s EICN and ALMS supported this study:
cnsi.ucla.edu/project/febr...

2025 Nobel Lecture - "From the Manhattan Project to Autoimmune Therapy" - Fred Ramsdell YouTube video by CNSI at UCLA

On 2/20, @cnsiatucla.bsky.social hosted a seminar w/ Fred Ramsdell, @ucla.edu alum + 2025 @nobelprize.org laureate, celebrating Ramsdell’s scientific contributions + highlighting UCLA’s role in shaping the research behind his work 🔬

Watch the lecture here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-di...

Thomas Edison’s failed rechargeable battery may get a second life The famed inventor's nickel-iron idea isn't suited for EVs, but it could help solar farms and data centers.

From @popsci.com: Maher El-Kady & Ric Kaner (@cnsiatucla.bsky.social) explain how their nickel–iron design could find new life powering solar farms & data centers—showing how Edison's once-overlooked invention may help strengthen today’s energy infrastructure ⚡️
www.popsci.com/technology/e...

February 10, 2026 | How UCLA scientists helped reimagine a forgotten battery design from Thomas Edison - California NanoSystems Institute FEATURED NEWS California NanoSystems Institute > News > Member News > February 10, 2026 | How UCLA scientists helped reimagine a forgotten battery design from Thomas Edison How UCLA scientists helped ...

UCLA researchers have revisited Edison’s nickel-iron battery using modern nanomaterials engineering ⚡️ Co-led by @cnsiatucla.bsky.social member Ric Kaner (@uclaengineering.bsky.social), the work highlights a fast-charging, long-life approach for renewable energy storage:
cnsi.ucla.edu/february-10-...

February 3, 2026 | Mineral sunscreen that reduces white cast developed by UCLA researchers - California NanoSystems Institute UCLA researchers have developed a mineral sunscreen formulation that significantly reduces the white, chalky cast that keeps many people from wearing sun protection daily. For decades, dermatologists ...

UCLA researchers (@pswnano.bsky.social @cnsiatucla.bsky.social @uclacb.bsky.social) developed a mineral sunscreen that reduces the white cast of zinc oxide by reshaping it into microscopic tetrapods—maintaining strong UV protection + better matching natural skin tones ☀️
cnsi.ucla.edu/february-3-2...

February 4, 2026 | Researchers discover how to dampen electronic noise in materials with potential for quantum technologies - California NanoSystems Institute That low-frequency fuzz that can bedevil cellphone calls has to do with how electrons move through and interact in materials at the smallest scale. The electronic flicker noise is often caused by inte...

UCLA researchers, led by dist. prof. Alexander Balandin (@cnsiatucla.bsky.social @uclaengineering.bsky.social) + supported by the CNSI EICN and NPC Tech Centers, have discovered a way to dramatically reduce electronic “flicker” noise using ultra-thin nanowires 🔬

cnsi.ucla.edu/february-4-2...

January 15, 2026 | Justin Caram receives an inaugural RCSA Bridge Award - California NanoSystems Institute Justin Caram receives an inaugural RCSA Bridge Award By Penny Jennings This article was originally published by UCLA Chemistry & Biochemistry Professor Justin Caram is one of 11 Cottrell Scholars sele...

Congrats to @cnsiatucla.bsky.social member Justin Caram on being named one of 11 Cottrell Scholars to receive an inaugural Research Corporation for Science Advancement Bridge Award 🎉🔬

Learn more:
cnsi.ucla.edu/january-15-2...

January 27, 2026 | COVID-19 viral fragments shown to target and kill specific immune cells in UCLA-led study - California NanoSystems Institute FEATURED NEWS California NanoSystems Institute > Research > HEALTH + MEDICINE > January 27, 2026 | COVID-19 viral fragments shown to target and kill specific immune cells in UCLA-led study ​COVID-19 v...

UCLA-led researchers, including @cnsiatucla.bsky.social member Gerard Wong (@uclaengineering.bsky.social), found that fragments of the #COVID19 virus can selectively kill key immune cells based on their shape—helping explain severe cases 🦠

Read more:
cnsi.ucla.edu/january-27-2...

January 16, 2026 | UCLA-Led Team Discovers Metallic Material with Record Thermal Conductivity - California NanoSystems Institute A UCLA-led, multi-institution research team has discovered a metallic material with the highest thermal conductivity measured among metals, challenging long-standing assumptions about the limits of he...

UCLA-led researchers led by @cnsiatucla.bsky.social member Yongjie Hu (@uclaengineering.bsky.social) discovered a metallic material with record thermal conductivity—nearly 3× better than copper—opening new pathways for cooling next-gen electronics and AI hardware 🔬
cnsi.ucla.edu/january-16-2...

January 16, 2026 | Heat Transfer Pioneer Tim Fisher Named Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers - California NanoSystems Institute Tim Fisher, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, has been named an honorary member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, one of the...

Congrats to @ucla prof. Tim Fisher (@cnsiatucla @uclaengineering) on being named an Honorary Member of the @ASMEdotorg—one of the organization’s oldest and most prestigious distinctions:
cnsi.ucla.edu/january-16-2...

CNSI Special Newsletter | January 15, 2026 Email from California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA 2025 Year in Review: For this special newsletter, we look back at some of the top stories from the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. Looking

Check out our 2025 @cnsiatucla.bsky.social Year in Review!

As we look ahead to the year to come, we’re excited to share more groundbreaking science from our members, Tech Centers, @cnsieducation, Magnify, and the world of nano at large:

conta.cc/4b0VrRd

November 10, 2025 | State-of-the-art AI and robotics device arrives at UCLA, creating major opportunities for biomedical researchers - California NanoSystems Institute FEATURED NEWS California NanoSystems Institute > Technology Centers > Molecular Screening Shared Resource > November 10, 2025 | State-of-the-art AI and robotics device arrives at UCLA, creating major ...

At the MSSR at @cnsiatucla.bsky.social (led by dir. Robert Damoiseaux) CNSI continues to expand its capabilities with CellXpress.AI (the first public research institution on the West Coast to house this advanced AI-powered robotics system) 🤖

Learn more:
cnsi.ucla.edu/november-10-...

January 1, 2026 | Reinforcement Learning Accelerates Model-free Training of Optical AI Systems - California NanoSystems Institute Optical computing has emerged as a powerful approach for high-speed and energy-efficient information processing. Diffractive optical networks, in particular, enable large-scale parallel computation th...

CNSI associate dir. Aydogan Ozcan (@InnovateUCLA) demonstrate model-free, in situ training of optical processors using reinforcement learning—paving the way for adaptive optical AI systems:
cnsi.ucla.edu/january-1-20...

December 10, 2025 | Richard Kaner gives 2025 Basolo Lecture at Northwestern University - California NanoSystems Institute Professor Richard Kaner, the UCLA Dr. Myung Ki Hong Endowed Chair in Materials Innovation, delivered his 2025 ACS Basolo Award lecture on Nov. 7 at Northwestern University’s Technological Institute in...

UCLA distinguished prof. Richard Kaner (@uclacb.bsky.social @cnsiatucla.bsky.social) was recently honored as the 2025 @acs.org Basolo Medalist, delivering his award lecture in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to inorganic chemistry 🧪

cnsi.ucla.edu/december-10-...

May 2025 | UCLA Conversations "The Molecular Basis of Aging and Dementia" YouTube video by UCLA Emeriti / Retirees Relations Center (ERRC)

CNSI member David Eisenberg recently discussed "The Molecular Basis of Aging and Dementia" at @ucla.edu’s Emeriti Association dinner, sharing insights on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and the role of protein damage and amyloid aggregation in neurodegeneration:
youtu.be/nyi0zJmSwWo?...

CNSI: The Power of ‘And’ - California NanoSystems Institute california nanosystems institute The Power of 'And' CNSI: THE POWER OF 'AND' WHY SIZE MATTERS? GUIDES FOR THE JOURNEY FROM LAB TO MARKET CASE STUDY: FROM LAB BREAKTHROUGH TO PRODUCT... AND BACK AGAIN ...

In honor of @cnsiatucla.bsky.social's 25th year, a special plaque was recently unveiled by Gov. Gray Davis + 'Musical Alchemy' by the Holliston Quartet, to celebrate creativity, collaboration, & transformation
Learn more:
cnsi.ucla.edu/project/cnsi...

November 14, 2025 | Watch: UCLA’s Neil Garg on how organic chemistry and piano keys are similar - California NanoSystems Institute A new video helps explain why one of the most-dreaded college classes is a wildly popular crowd favorite at UCLA. When taught by Neil Garg, UCLA’s Kenneth N. Trueblood Professor of Chemistry and Bioch...

CNSI member Neil Garg is featured in a new Chemistry Shorts film that explores how he makes organic chemistry one of @ucla.edu’s most popular courses 🧪📚

cnsi.ucla.edu/november-14-...

UCLA prof Raphael Levine (@cnsiatucla.bsky.social @uclacb.bsky.social) co-authored a @pnas.org study revealing how sunlight breaks apart N2 molecules, which may offer new insights into the evolution of planetary atmospheres on Earth, Mars, and beyond 🔬🪐

www.chemistry.ucla.edu/news/new-stu...

November 14, 2025 | CNSI Members Among World’s Most Influential Researchers in 2025 - California NanoSystems Institute In a reflection of the California NanoSystems Institute’s role in advancing world-class, interdisciplinary science, 11 CNSI members are among the 39 UCLA scholars named to Clarivate’s 2025 Highly Cite...

11 @cnsiatucla.bsky.social members are among @ucla.edu's 39 faculty named to @clarivate.com's 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list, spanning research in #materialsscience, #bioengineering, #neuroscience, #quantum tech, and more 🔬
cnsi.ucla.edu/november-14-...

CNSI: The Power of ‘And’ - California NanoSystems Institute california nanosystems institute The Power of 'And' CNSI: THE POWER OF 'AND' WHY SIZE MATTERS? GUIDES FOR THE JOURNEY FROM LAB TO MARKET CASE STUDY: FROM LAB BREAKTHROUGH TO PRODUCT... AND BACK AGAIN ...

25 years in, @cnsiatucla.bsky.social continues turning team science into societal impact—from potential peanut allergy cures to sustainable lab-grown meat. Centered on the nanoscale, CNSI connects science, engineering & entrepreneurship to drive real-world solutions: cnsi.ucla.edu/project/cnsi...

October 28, 2025 | New research uncovers how bad bacteria know where to cluster and cause infection - California NanoSystems Institute The bacterium known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an unwelcome visitor in the human body. Serious infections can result when a bunch of these bugs settle together on a surface to form a biofilm — a com...

A @ucla.edu-led team uncovered how Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria sense sugar trails to form biofilms. Led by UCLA prof. Gerard Wong w/ Paul Weiss
(@cnsiatucla.bsky.social @uclacb.bsky.social), the study used UCLA NanoLab to reveal new bacterial sensing mechanisms:
cnsi.ucla.edu/october-28-2...

Join UCLA prof. Sergio Carbajo (@cnsiatucla.bsky.social @uclaengineering.bsky.social) on 10/31 for “Unraveling the Role of STEM in Justice-Related Epistemologies,” part of QGrad 2025 🌈🔬

Explore how science can reshape frameworks of justice & queer epistemologies:
gender.ucla.edu/qgrad-2025/

Researchers at UCLA have successfully cultivated meat The next step is scaling up

UCLA researchers led by Amy Rowat (@cnsiatucla.bsky.social @uclacollege.bsky.social ) are advancing #sustainable food by cultivating cells that mimic traditional meat. 🌱🍔

Check out the story+video on Spectrum News 1:
spectrumnews1.com/ca/southern-...

More exciting news from Magnify at @cnsiatucla.bsky.social company Pelage Pharmaceuticals!

Pelage has recently closed a $120M Series B to advance its first-in-class topical therapy, PP405, designed to reactivate dormant hair follicle stem cells 🔬

Learn more:
magnify.cnsi.ucla.edu/2025/10/15/o...

Pelage Pharmaceuticals PP405: The Best Inventions of 2025 Find out why Pelage Pharmaceuticals PP405 is on TIME's list of 2025's best inventions.

🎉 Congratulations to Pelage Pharmaceuticals, a company within our @cnsiatucla.bsky.social Magnify Incubator, for being named to @time.com’s Best 100 Inventions of 2025 for their innovative hair regrowth therapy, PP405!

time.com/collections/...

October 9, 2025 | Sped-up evolution may help bacteria take hold in gut microbiome, UCLA-led research team finds - California NanoSystems Institute Everywhere you go, you carry a population of microbes in your gastrointestinal tract that outnumber the human cells making up your body. This microbiome has important connections to health in your gut...

It’s #NationalNanotechnologyDay! 🧫

New @cnsiatucla.bsky.social research led by director Jeff F. Miller uncovers how bacteria in the gut microbiome evolve to adapt and thrive—insights that could help engineer healthier microbiomes for life🔬

Read more:

cnsi.ucla.edu/october-9-20...

#nationalnanotechnologyday #ai #quantumcomputing | California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA In celebration of #NationalNanotechnologyDay on 10/9 (a nod to 10⁻⁹, the nanoscale), check out this clip highlighting how nanoscience is shaping the future of sustainable technology 🌿 In this video, ...

In celebration of #NationalNanotechnologyDay on 10/9, check out this feat. Yu Huang (@uclasamueli.bsky.social @cnsiatucla.bsky.social) highlighting how nanoscience is shaping the future of sustainable technology 🌿

www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

October 8, 2025 | Former CNSI Member Omar Yaghi Wins 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - California NanoSystems Institute Omar M. Yaghi, a former professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UCLA who is currently the James and Neeltje Tretter Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in c...

Congrats to former @cnsiatucla.bsky.social member and @uclacb.bsky.social prof Omar Yaghi, who has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize for pioneering MOFs—a groundbreaking class of materials w transformative potential for clean energy, carbon capture, & water harvesting🏅
cnsi.ucla.edu/october-8-20...

In celebration of #NationalNanotechnologyDay on 10/9 (a nod to 10⁻⁹, the nanoscale), check out this clip feat. @pswnano.bsky.social @uclacb.bsky.social @cnsiatucla.bsky.social ) highlighting how collaboration drives the field of nanoscience 🧬

August 25, 2025 | Professor C.K. Ken Yang Named as Inaugural Holder of Tatsuo Itoh Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering - California NanoSystems Institute FEATURED NEWS California NanoSystems Institute > News > Member News > August 25, 2025 | Professor C.K. Ken Yang Named as Inaugural Holder of Tatsuo Itoh Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engine...

Congratulations to @ucla.edu prof. C.K. Ken Yang (@uclasamueli.bsky.social, @cnsiatucla.bsky.social), who, in August of this year, was named the inaugural holder of the Tatsuo Itoh Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UCLA Engineering!

Learn more:
cnsi.ucla.edu/august-25-20...