Exploring Light and Life: Nanophotonics and AI for Molecular Sequencing and Single-Cell Phenotyping
by COMSOL from IEEE Spectrum on (#7490V)
The biosphere transmits data 9 orders of magnitude faster than the technosphere. A new class of nanophotonic tools is beginning to close that gap.
In this webinar, Prof. Dionne will present VINPix: Si-photonic resonators with high-Q factors (thousands to millions), subwavelength mode volumes, and densities exceeding 10M/cm^2. Combined with acoustic bioprinting and AI, they may enable detection of multiomic signatures - genes, proteins, and metabolites on a single chip - at previously unattainable rates, opening new possibilities for molecular communication systems and biochemical sensing for health and sustainability.
Key Takeaway:
- Single-chip multiomics - VINPix arrays plus AI for simultaneous gene, protein, and metabolite detection
- Field-deployed biosensing - integrated with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) autonomous underwater robots for ocean biochemical monitoring
- Peptide & glyco-conjugate sequencing - major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-tethered peptides, dynamic Raman spectroscopy, and computational metadynamics to identify previously unseen molecular species
- Tumor microenvironment profiling - subcellular prediction of drug resistance, macrophage polarization, and T-cell activation states