VINSE - Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering

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VINSE - Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering VINSE’s mission is to drive innovation in nanoscience, nanotechnology, and education that benefits

VINSE is a multi-disciplinary institute that supports research, education, and K-12 outreach across science, engineering, and medicine. Housed in the Engineering and Science Building, VINSE facilities comprise a state-of-the-art cleanroom with hard and soft lithography, an imaging suite including a focused ion beam instrument, and a characterization laboratory (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/facilities/index.php). VINSE researchers are using nanoscience and nanotechnology to enable new discoveries across a broad range of areas spanning drug delivery, cellular communication, metamaterials, sensors, batteries, and photodetectors (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/research/index.php). Educationally, VINSE has strong ties to the Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program for graduate students (https://engineering.vanderbilt.edu//materials-science/) and the undergraduate minor in Nanotechnology and Nanoscience (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/nano-minor.php). Students can also participate in a multi-year immersion in VINSE as part of the VINSE Tech Crew or enroll in one of several classes that have laboratory components in VINSE facilities (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/immersion.php). VINSE outreach activities include classroom visits, on-campus high school field trips, sponsorship of REU students, and laboratory modules for the Vanderbilt Summer Academy (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/outreach.php). VINSE has current users from Vanderbilt, other external academic institutions, and industry. VINSE staff are available to train new users, assist in process development, and to carry out processes for researchers as a service. If you are interested in more information about our core facilities, capabilities to support various research initiatives, educational opportunities, or outreach events, please email [email protected].

VINSE welcomed Pratim Biswas, Ph.D., Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Stevenson Chair in Engineeri...
10/21/2026

VINSE welcomed Pratim Biswas, Ph.D., Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Stevenson Chair in Engineering. Dr. Biswas will serve as Executive Director for Global Engagement in the School of Engineering ( ) and was appointed the inaugural Executive Director of the Vanderbilt Florida Institute for Engineering Innovation at the West Palm Beach campus.

Dr. Biswas's research focuses on aerosol-based methods for synthesizing functional nanomaterials for a range of applications. By studying particle formation and developing new approaches to nanoparticle synthesis, his group aims to improve the performance and sustainability of these technologies. We are excited to support this work through VINSE’s shared facilities and collaborative research environment.

Welcome to Vanderbilt, Pratim!

VINSE is pleased to welcome Yan Zeng, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbi...
10/21/2026

VINSE is pleased to welcome Yan Zeng, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University.

The Zeng Lab is developing self-driving laboratories that use robotics and AI-guided decision-making to plan experiments, carry out synthesis procedures, and analyze results. We are excited to support this work through VINSE’s shared facilities and collaborative research environment.

Welcome to Vanderbilt, Yan!

Congratulations to Aditha Senarath, recipient of the 2026 VINSE Best Collaborative Publication Award! Aditha’s research,...
10/20/2026

Congratulations to Aditha Senarath, recipient of the 2026 VINSE Best Collaborative Publication Award! Aditha’s research, published in IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, brings together expertise from multiple institutions to advance our understanding of how radiation affects gallium nitride (GaN) power devices, with important implications for reliable electronics in space and other radiation environments.

Congratulations to Aditha and his collaborators from Vanderbilt University, Sandia National Labs, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory - NRL, Texas A&M University and NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration!

Aditha earned his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt University in 2025 and is now a Principal Engineer at GlobalFoundries.

We are proud to recognize this outstanding collaborative achievement and the researchers who made it possible!

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3UcrDeq

Congratulations to Vikash Khokhar, the recipient of the 2026 VINSE Best Graduate Student Publication Award. Vikash is a ...
10/20/2026

Congratulations to Vikash Khokhar, the recipient of the 2026 VINSE Best Graduate Student Publication Award. Vikash is a graduate student in Vanderbilt University’s Interdisciplinary Materials Science program in the De-en Jiang lab.

Vikash’s paper examines how chelation drives surface substitution in MXenes, enabling greater control over the surface chemistry of two-dimensional materials. This research establishes ligand denticity as a new strategy for engineering their surfaces. By controlling ethylenediamine deprotonation, Vikash and colleagues shifted titanium carbide MXenes from monodentate to bidentate coordination, offering a method to tune surface bonding and interlayer structure. The findings support the design of functional two-dimensional materials through precise control of surface chemistry and demonstrate how computational modeling can guide experiments and nanomaterials engineering.

Vikash will also give the graduate student presentation at the 26th Annual Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Forum (NanoDay) on November 19, 2026.

👉 Read the full story at: https://bit.ly/4zM6res

Emanuela Riglioni, a graduate student in interdisciplinary materials science at Vanderbilt University, is gaining firsth...
10/18/2026

Emanuela Riglioni, a graduate student in interdisciplinary materials science at Vanderbilt University, is gaining firsthand experience through the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization’s Internship Program.

Working alongside CTTC’s Licensing team, Emanuela and four fellow graduate students are applying their scientific and engineering expertise while gaining hands-on experience in technology evaluation, intellectual property, market research, and commercialization.

Learn more about Emanuela and this year’s CTTC interns: https://bit.ly/3TZeghG

From Protein Interactions to Pathogenesis: Meet Kaitlyn GallagherKaitlyn, a graduate student in the Lacy Lab, focuses on...
10/16/2026

From Protein Interactions to Pathogenesis: Meet Kaitlyn Gallagher

Kaitlyn, a graduate student in the Lacy Lab, focuses on a novel C. difficile toxin and its role in pathogenesis. Her goal is to elucidate the function of this toxin and to understand the advantages it may confer on C. difficile.

Outside the lab, Kaitlyn enjoys spending time with friends, exploring new crafts and DIY projects, and reading or relaxing with her cat, Ziggy
👉Read her full story here: https://bit.ly/4zGLHEZ

On Thursday, October 15th, VINSE welcomed 15 students from Gallatin High School to our Forensics Lab. Students served as...
10/15/2026

On Thursday, October 15th, VINSE welcomed 15 students from Gallatin High School to our Forensics Lab. Students served as forensic investigators for the day, using Raman, FTIR, absorption, and photoluminescence spectroscopy to examine evidence and solve a whodunnit-style mystery. Along the way, they explored spectroscopy through additional hands-on activities, including extracting chlorophyll from spinach, analyzing perfumes, and collecting spectra from various pieces of jewelry.

Special thanks to our NanoGuides, Ginny An, Chris Boyd, Emmanuel Dabuo, and Juliette Reeder, for their invaluable assistance throughout the program. They guided students through forensic challenges and fundamental scientific questions, making the experience educational and engaging!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to celebrate National Nanotechnology Day! A huge thank you to Megan Dernberger (.dernb...
10/10/2026

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to celebrate National Nanotechnology Day!

A huge thank you to Megan Dernberger (.dernberger), Steely Horne-Lalande (.hornelalande ), Rylan Hunt (.hunt23 ), Mica Gonzalez Mora ( ), Lacey Peycke ( ), Grace Adams (.m.adams ), and Owen Meilander ( ) for keeping the donuts 🍩, coffee ☕, and OJ flowing!

Here’s to the people behind science at the smallest scale and the BIG impact they make every day.

Help us celebrate National Nano Day!  10.09 | 8:30–10:30AM | ESB LobbyWear your VINSE shirt. Grab a donut. Get your phot...
10/05/2026

Help us celebrate National Nano Day! 10.09 | 8:30–10:30AM | ESB Lobby
Wear your VINSE shirt. Grab a donut. Get your photo taken.

We want to highlight those who make VINSE great. Send a photo of yourself or your lab in VINSE gear for our Faces of VINSE display during NanoDay!

Congratulations to VINSE NanoGuides Darby Heffer and Madison Walker, who were recognized through the American Chemical S...
09/30/2026

Congratulations to VINSE NanoGuides Darby Heffer and Madison Walker, who were recognized through the American Chemical Society Graduate Student Recognition Program at ACS Fall 2026! Darby was recognized for her work fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment within the chemical sciences, while Madison was honored for her leadership in science advocacy and communication.

We’re proud to see our NanoGuides making an impact at Vanderbilt and beyond!
Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4xU67Ji

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