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News

  • Dr. Kalman Varga 2026 Jeffrey Nordhaus award for excellence in teaching

    Varga awarded Jeffrey Nordhaus Award for Excellence in Teaching

    Please join in congratulations Dr. Kálmán Varga for his exceptional achievements in teaching and undergraduate research. Prof. Varga recently received the Jeffrey Nordhaus Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Natural Sciences, honoring his dedication to students in the classroom and through research mentorship. He was recognized for his sustained… Read More

    Jan. 21, 2026

  • a, Scheme depicting the concept of an albumin-hitchhiking nanobody–STING agonist conjugate for cancer immunotherapy. Anti-albumin nanobodies conjugated to STING agonists bind to circulating albumin in situ, resulting in improved pharmacokinetics and increased biodistribution to tumour sites that stimulates antitumour innate and adaptive immune responses. b, Computational model of the anti-albumin nanobody (nAlb) binding at domain IIB of HSA. c, ITC traces (top) and binding isotherms (bottom) of nAlb binding to human and mouse serum albumin at pH 7.5 with calculated dissociation constant (Kd). d, Reaction scheme for generating molecularly homogeneous nAlb conjugates through site-selective enzymatic ligation of an amine-PEG3-azide followed by conjugation of agonist or dye cargo through strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC). e, Structure of diABZI STING agonist conjugated to a DBCO-PEG11 handle for ligation to azide-functionalized nanobodies via SPAAC. f,g, ESI–MS (f) and SDS–PAGE (g) showing nanobody conjugate purity and molecular weight (see Source Data for uncropped gel in ref. 90). h,i, Dose–response curves in A549-Dual (n = 3) (h) and THP1-Dual type I interferon reporter cell lines (n = 3) (i) with estimated EC50 values indicated in the legends; RLU, relative light unit. j, qPCR analysis of gene expression in mouse BMDMs treated in vitro with 0.25 µM of free diABZI or nAlb–diABZI conjugate (n = 3). P values determined by one-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s multiple comparison test with groups compared to PBS. Replicates are biological, and data are shown as mean ± s.e.m. Panel a created with BioRender.com.

    Spotlight Publication: “Potentiating cancer immunotherapies with modular albumin-hitchhiking nanobody–STING agonist conjugates” published in Nature Biomedical Engineering

    a, Scheme depicting the concept of an albumin-hitchhiking nanobody–STING agonist conjugate for cancer immunotherapy. Anti-albumin nanobodies conjugated to STING agonists bind to circulating albumin in situ, resulting in improved pharmacokinetics and increased biodistribution to tumour sites that stimulates antitumour innate and adaptive immune responses. b, Computational model of the anti-albumin… Read More

    Jan. 20, 2026

  • Vanderbilt University

    Giles County High School Investigates at the VINSE Forensics Lab

    What secrets can a “crime scene” reveal if you know where to look? On Thursday, January 15th, VINSE welcomed 16 students from Giles County High School to our Forensics Lab for a hands-on investigation into the science behind solving mysteries. During the program, students tackled a whodunnit-themed challenge using… Read More

    Jan. 15, 2026

  • Vanderbilt University

    Bryce Ware promoted to Associate Tech Crew

    VINSE is excited to announce the promotion of Bryce Ware from Tech Crew to Associate Tech Crew, in recognition of his contributions to research, cleanroom operations, and outreach. Bryce has been instrumental in developing and strengthening electrical characterization capabilities at… Read More

    Jan. 6, 2026

  • Vanderbilt University

    VINSE Welcomes Matthew Day

    Starting in January 2026, Dr. Day will join Vanderbilt University as an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Physics & Astronomy and the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. His research group will explore quantum materials using advanced optoelectronic techniques, expanding Vanderbilt’s strengths at the intersection… Read More

    Jan. 2, 2026

  • Vanderbilt University

    25th NanoDay Photo Gallery Now Available

    Photos from the 25th VINSE NanoDay are now available to view and download. The gallery captures highlights from the day, including hands-on demonstrations, research posters, and moments from across the VINSE community. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate this milestone NanoDay. Read More

    Dec. 17, 2025

  • Announcement on VINSE Tech Crew page. We are hiring.

    Now Hiring: VINSE Summer Undergraduate Tech Crew!

    Are you interested in gaining hands-on experience in a state-of-the-art research environment? The VINSE Summer Tech Crew program offers Vanderbilt students a unique opportunity to work in a Class 100 cleanroom while supporting cutting-edge research, education, and outreach. What is the VINSE Summer Tech Crew?… Read More

    Dec. 17, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Seeding Success Award Supports New Laser Writer for VINSE

    VINSE has received a Seeding Success award to support the acquisition of a new Heidelberg µMLA Laser Writer for the VINSE cleanroom. The proposal was led by Matthew Day, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Electrical and Computer Engineering, who serves as principal investigator. The new… Read More

    Dec. 16, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    From Concept to Pitch: Vanderbilt’s Nanoscale Innovation Course Drives Student Innovation

    The Nanoscale Innovation and Making course challenged Vanderbilt students to solve large problems using nanoscience. Students from majors such as computer science, engineering, and economics participated, resulting in a diverse array of product prototype ideas. Students in this hands-on course applied nanotechnology, entrepreneurship, and business strategy in both the classroom… Read More

    Dec. 15, 2025

  • Photo from VINSE picnic 2024. VINSE PICNIC, 04.04.26 at 11am, Shelter 5 Warner Park

    VINSE Community Picnic, 04/04/26

    The VINSE Picnic is back! Join us for a day of food, drink, and fun! RSVP. Only registered guests will get a raffle ticket! Where: Edwin Warner Park, Picnic Shelter 5 (driving instructions here) When: April 4 from 11:00-1:30 What: Bubble Soccer,… Read More

    Dec. 14, 2025