News and Announcements

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker told hundreds of academic, government (both regional and global), and industry leaders on Friday that Northwestern is central to the state’s push to become a national hub for quantum innovation.

Northwestern physicist Enectali Figueroa-Feliciano recently appeared on Fox 32 Chicago to discuss the University’s work at Fermilab aimed at uncovering the mysteries of dark matter. The segment highlights research conducted deep underground, where scientists are working to detect faint signals from elusive particles that do not interact with light.

Northwestern University acquires next-generation cryo‑electron microscope, accelerating breakthroughs in biology and medicine. Funded by a $15 million gift from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, the instrument provides a new window into the building blocks of life. It also marks a major milestone in advancing one of Northwestern’s top research priorities: strengthening the biosciences.

Center for Synthetic Biology (CSB) researchers showcased interdisciplinary innovations advancing sustainability, health, and real‑world impact at Northwestern’s inaugural URIC Research Impact Day.

Northwestern mechanical engineers Wei Chen and Ryan Truby have developed an AI-driven design and 3D-printing method that enables materials to reshape themselves in response to stimuli like heat or light, mimicking nature's adaptive intelligence. Their autonomous system integrates physics-based simulations and topology optimization to rapidly design and fabricate shape-shifting materials, paving the way for smarter, more adaptable technologies in medicine, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. The work appears in Science Advances.