California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA

CNSI’s 9th Annual 2026 Nanovation Competition was the biggest yet, featuring 11 outstanding teams from across California. Students presented innovative nanoscience-based product proposals tackling a wide range of important real-world challenges.

Third place team, Solar Universe from South Junior High School in Anaheim, developed a radiative-cooling paint designed to reduce blacktop surface temperatures. Taking 2nd place was Airborne.co from Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, whose product is a volatile organic compound air filtration device created to protect first responders battling fires and assisting with wildfire cleanup efforts across Southern California.

This year also marked a special milestone, with two exceptional teams tying for 1st place. Nanomed from John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills designed a slow-release allergy patch aimed at reducing the burden of daily allergy medication, particularly for young children. Sharing the top honor was NailedIt from Westminster High School, which proposed a nano-protective nail primer to promote nail health and minimize damage caused by removing press-on nails.

Congratulations to all the 2026 Nanovation finalist teams for their creativity, innovation, and hard work. We are grateful to our judges, Richard Kaner, Howard Ko, and Sonia Luna, for evaluating this year’s presentations, and to Denise Avchen from Environmental Research Advocates for sponsoring this year’s Nanovation Competition.

https://cnsi.ucla.edu/may-27-2026-2026-nanovation-competition-showcases-californias-next-generation-of-innovators/

May 27, 2026 | 2026 Nanovation Competition Showcases California’s Next Generation of Innovators - California NanoSystems Institute CNSI’s 9th Annual 2026 Nanovation Competition was the biggest yet, featuring 11 outstanding teams from across California. Students presented innovative nanoscience-based product proposals tackling a wide range of important real-world challenges. Third...

Researchers at UCLA have developed a new image projection system that uses and passive optical components to generate high-resolution images over an extended depth of field while dramatically reducing data transmission and power requirements.

Led by California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA associate director Aydogan Ozcan and CNSI member and UCLA Samueli School of Engineering professor Mona Jarrahi, the technology combines a neural network-based encoder with an all-optical diffractive decoder, offering a promising path toward more efficient next-generation virtual and augmented reality displays 🔬📡

Learn more in the link below!

May 18, 2026 | Super-resolution image projection over an extended depth using an optical processor - California NanoSystems Institute Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a novel image projection system that delivers super-resolution images over an extended depth of field. By combining a neural network-based digital encoder with a passive all-optical diffractive...

Congratulations to California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA member Neil Garg on receiving UCLA’s 2026 Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring. As the first faculty member in the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and UCLA Physical Sciences to earn this recognition, Garg was honored for fostering an inclusive and supportive research environment that empowers students to grow as scientists, professionals, and mentors themselves 🏅

Since joining UCLA in 2007, professor Garg has mentored dozens of Ph.D. students while championing a culture of scientific excellence, collaboration, and community. His impact extends beyond the laboratory through initiatives like , which promotes positive mentorship practices across academia. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

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May 18, 2026 | Neil Garg receives UCLA’s 2026 Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring - California NanoSystems Institute Distinguished Kenneth N. Trueblood Professor Neil Garg has been named one of three UCLA faculty members to receive the 2026 Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring from the UCLA Division of Graduate Education. He is the first faculty member...

A recent The New York Times article highlighted the growing urgency around research following a deadly outbreak at sea, and featured the work of California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA member Vaithi Arumugaswami, who is helping develop antiviral strategies against these often-overlooked viruses 🦠🔬

At UCLAUCLA, Arumugaswami and collaborators have identified compounds that inhibit hantaviruses in human cells and organoid models, advancing efforts to build a stronger toolkit for future infectious disease threats.

Check out the full article in the link below!

May 9, 2026 | Hantavirus Vaccines and Treatments Are in the Pipeline - California NanoSystems Institute The deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius has put the spotlight on a rare pathogen that typically attracts relatively little attention, even from scientists. There are no targeted treatments for hantaviruses, which are typically carried by...

How do you uncover hidden molecules with the potential to fight drug-resistant infections or better predict how the body processes medicine? 🔬

California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA member Hosein Mohimani is combining mass spectrometry with machine learning to tackle both challenges, using AI-powered tools to identify new natural products, study drug metabolism, and reveal previously unknown biochemical pathways. His work at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is helping advance antibiotic discovery, precision medicine, and our broader understanding of metabolism through powerful interdisciplinary approaches.

Learn more in the link below!

May 18, 2026 | UCLA’s Hosein Mohimani matches molecule and machine learning to better understand metabolism - California NanoSystems Institute Hosein Mohimani describes two of his signature research projects as coming from “two different universes” within the biosciences. One seeks new weapons against treatment-resistant infections, and the other explores the role of a specific family of enzymes in drug...

At CNSI’s Living Biofoundry, UCLA students have developed a new automation framework that integrates an advanced electroporation system into fully autonomous synthetic biology workflows, helping researchers remotely run complex gene-delivery experiments with greater efficiency and precision. Their solution combines custom software and hardware engineering to eliminate manual bottlenecks while preserving the system’s versatility for a wide range of biological applications 🔬

The Living Biofoundry is a core resource of the BioPACIFIC MIP, which supports interdisciplinary materials and synthetic biology research through advanced shared instrumentation and infrastructure.

Learn more in the link below!

May 13, 2026 | From Bottleneck to Breakthrough: Student Engineers Unlock Fully Autonomous Electroporation at UCLA - California NanoSystems Institute Inside the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, where some of the most advanced and technical automated infrastructure on campus resides, two students saw an opportunity hiding in plain sight. The Living Biofoundry, a core resource of the BioPACIFIC...

CNSI member Keriann Backus and a UCLA-led team have developed SEE-CITE, a new technology that improves how scientists map where small molecules bind to proteins—an essential step in drug discovery 🔬

By enabling more precise, side-by-side comparisons of molecular interactions, this method could accelerate the development of safer, more effective therapies across a range of diseases.

Check out the full research brief in the link below!

April 28, 2026 | UCLA research improves molecular probe for drug discovery - California NanoSystems Institute A UCLA-led international research collaboration unveiled a new technology that may help scientists better understand how small molecules, including many drugs, bind to proteins. The invention works with an existing lab method called photo-crosslinking. Leaving...

Congratulations to California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA member and UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry professor and chair, Alexander Spokoyny, on being elected a Fellow of the AAAS - The American Association for the Advancement of Science! 🎉

This prestigious recognition honors his pioneering work in organomimetic cluster chemistry, expanding the boundaries of molecular design across chemistry, biology, and materials science.

Learn more about the award, as well as the three other UCLA faculty members who were recognized, at the link below!

cnsi.ucla.edu

CNSI member and UCLA Samueli School of Engineering associate professor Sam Emaminejad, along with a UCLA-led team have developed a next-generation microneedle sensor capable of continuously tracking drug levels and organ function through minimally invasive skin measurements 🔬

The platform not only improves signal sensitivity and durability but also detects early signs of kidney and liver dysfunction—potentially enabling more precise, real-time treatment decisions.

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April 17, 2026 | Skin-deep microneedle sensor tracks drug clearance and reveals early kidney and liver dysfunction - California NanoSystems Institute Wearable sensors that use microneedles to painlessly take samples at skin level could help personalize health care and enable precision drug dosing in real time, but many have been limited by weak signals and damage caused by friction in tissue.

CNSI member and UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science professor Song Li recently co-led a UCLA study developing an implantable “charging station” that helps engineered immune cells remain active and effective against cancer 🔌

By providing localized, sustained activation signals, the platform enhances the durability of CAR-iNKT cell therapies and shows promise for improving treatment of both solid tumors and blood cancers.

Learn more in the link below!

March 17, 2026 | Implantable “Charging Station” Boosts Fight Against Cancer - California NanoSystems Institute Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment by harnessing the body’s own immune system to fight disease. But many engineered immune cells lose strength quickly after they enter the body, especially inside tumors that actively suppress immune activity...