Research

Imagine being able to target cancer tumors with powerful therapies while leaving healthy cells untouched, create face masks that detect and kill viruses instantly, repair devasting spinal cord injuries with nanoscale materials that regrow bone and create these nanoscale materials en masse with 3D printing, and clean oil spills and polluted water with nanosponges without harming fish and animal life.

The possibilities for nanotechnology research sound like science fiction, but they’re closer than ever to everyday life.

Through strategic partnerships and support from visionary donors, foundations, and federal agencies, researchers at the IIN are working to address the world’s most pressing problems using materials and processes at the nanoscale.

Mission: NanoMedicine

Learn more about medical research at the IIN.

Ronald and JoAnne Willens Center for Nano Oncology

Established in 2015 by a generous gift from Ronald and JoAnne Willens, this center supports researchers developing nanotechnology-based cancer therapeutics and translating these innovations from the laboratory bench to the clinic.

Convergence Science & Medicine Institute (CSMI)

The CSMI supports researchers working to develop novel nanotechnology-based therapies at the cusp of science and medicine to treat debilitating diseases and disorders such as brain cancer, a rare form of leukemia, and Huntington’s disease.

Northwestern University Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (NU-CCNE)

Supported from 2005 to 2021 by the National Cancer Institute, this partnership between the IIN and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center officially united scientists, engineers, and clinicians at Northwestern for the first time. Research advanced the understanding of metastasis and led to the development of novel nanoscale materials for cancer therapeutics.

NTU-Northwestern Institute for Nanomedicine (NNIN)

This partnership between the IIN and the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, which was supported from 2014 to 2021, allowed researchers to collaboratively develop new foundational technologies in the areas of disease diagnostics, timed-release therapeutics, and targeted drug delivery methods.

Medicine

Nanoscience has the potential to transform patient care and revolutionize medicine. Research at the IIN has led to better and more effective vaccine designs, nanoscale agents that can help improve diagnosis and treatment options, and strategies to detect, control, and eliminate cancer cells.

Mission: NanoEnergy

Learn more about research on energy solutions at the IIN.

Energy

From carbon nanotube thin films that work as electrodes in lithium-ion batteries to organic solar cells that achieve incredible efficiencies, nanotechnology research is creating solutions that fulfill today’s energy needs and reveal new possibilities for a clean, sustainable future.

Mission: NanoEnvironment

Learn more about research on clean air, food, and water solutions at the IIN.

Nanotechnology for Universal Clean Air & Water Security (NU-CAWS)

Established in 2020, NU-CAWS brings together researchers from many disciplines focused on the development of highly efficient and cost-effective nano-based technologies to detect and mitigate pollutants in the air and water.

Environment

It has been estimated that 780 million people do not have access to safe drinking water, and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), nine out of ten people breathe air with high levels of pollutants. Similar concerns exist with contaminated soil used for agriculture or recreation.

What can nanotechnology do to help?

Mission: Advanced Nanomaterials

From security and defense to communications and molecular electronics, learn more about research into advanced nanomaterials at the IIN.

Center of Excellence for Advanced Bioprogrammable Nanomaterials (C-ABN)

Supported from 2015 to 2021, this center created a strong and enduring collaborative partnership between researchers at the IIN and researchers at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Discovery-based research projects focused on the development of bioprogrammable nanomaterials to meet both military and civilian needs.

Advanced Nanomaterials

Imagine a sensor with the ability to detect toxins or other harmful threats at the molecular or even atomic level…or a computer the size of a single sugar cube, with 900 billion transistors inside. Research into advanced nanomaterials is creating astonishing new possibilities.