HOUSTON, Sep. 1 – The Welch Foundation’s annual research conference will explore the use of “sculpted light” to sense, probe and control chemistry at the molecular level. The 65th conference, “Molecules and Sculpted Light,” will be held both in person and virtually Oct. 24-25. Participation is free, but registration is required at welch1.org/conference.
“This conference will explore the many fascinating things that can happen to molecules when you pump and probe them with light in novel ways,” said W. E. Moerner, conference chair, Welch Scientific Advisory Board member emeritus, and the Harry S. Mosher Professor of Chemistry and Professor, by courtesy, of Applied Physics at Stanford University. “Light is a fine scalpel that allows us to make, measure and learn about small objects at the nanoscale – all without damaging the biomolecules we are investigating. Since light has a long wavelength (hundreds of nanometers) compared to the size of molecules (a few nanometers), sculpting light provides ways to overcome this mismatch. Experts will share their current work in this fast-evolving area of chemical science.”
Dr. Moerner pioneered the detection of individual molecules using light more than 30 years ago. Today, scientists have built on this discovery with many exciting applications. For example, placing tiny metallic structures known as "nanoantennas" close to molecules and then exciting them with light allows researchers to strongly explore and/or change the molecule. By using sculpted light approaches, scientists are creating very efficient and sensitive optical sensors to detect pathogens and viruses in our cells at very early stages of disease.
For the first time, the conference will feature a keynote speaker at the Monday luncheon, Oct. 24. Peter Hotez, dean, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, will share his insights on “COVID-19 Vaccines: Science vs Antiscience.” The following day, the 2022 recipient of the Welch Award in Chemistry, Carolyn R. Bertozzi, director of Sarafan ChEM-H at Stanford University, will discuss her latest research, “Therapeutic Opportunities in Glycoscience.”
Presenters are divided into four broad research areas over two days.
Kicking off the conference Monday, Oct. 24, the “Single Molecules and Phase” session will be chaired by discussion leader Matthew Lew, Washington University in St. Louis. The light emitted or scattered by a single molecule or tiny particle conveys information about its nanoscale environment, and using phase effects, new technologies sculpt this light to extract this information with incredible fidelity. Three presenters will discuss advances in this area.
In the afternoon session, “Nanoantennas and Chemistry,” the speakers will examine new insights into how small metal particles interact very strongly with light to enhance and modify the way the light interacts with nearby molecules, thus enabling energy and charge transfer as well as novel catalysis. The discussion leader is Julie S. Biteen, University of Michigan.
Tuesday morning opens with “Molecular Plasmonics,” led by the University of Minnesota’s Renee R. Frontiera. Two scientists will highlight what happens the electric and magnetic fields of light are sculpted by the plasmons of nanoscale metallic objects: fascinating hotspots appear with extreme imaging, electronic, and energetic effects.
Wrapping up the conference, the last session will focus on metamaterials, which provide a broad palette for manipulation and enhancement of light-molecule interactions, enabling new sensing and imaging technologies for biomedicine and the environment. Mikhail Kats, University of Wisconsin-Madison, will guide the discussion of “Metamaterials.”
For a complete program and to register, please visit welch1.org/conference. The in-person event will be held at the Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston.
The Welch Foundation, based in Houston, is one of the nation’s largest private funding sources for fundamental chemical research. Since 1954, the Foundation has contributed more than $1.1 billion to the advancement of chemistry through research grants, departmental grants, endowed chairs and support for other chemistry-related programs in Texas.