November 5, 2025 | Nano-Engineered Systems Institute
“Foam in Bloom”, by UW mechanical engineering graduate students Santhosh Sridhar (Microcellular Plastics Lab ), Ankush Nandi (Vashisth Research Lab ), and Shaunak Deshpande (Meza Research Group ) was named the Most Stunning image in the 2025 Plenty of Beauty at the Bottom image contest hosted by the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). Sites from across the NNCI contributed stunning, unique, and whimsical images of the micro and nanoscale for the 2025 image contest. Read More
The Molecular Analysis Facility (MAF) is a state-of-the-art characterization facility that provides high end characterization tools to all users in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
The MAF Characterization Workshop, Aug. 4-5, includes lectures in the morning and instrument demonstrations in the afternoon. Due to the capacity of our lab space, the registration number is limited. The Molecular Analysis Facility (MAF) at the University of Washington is near the Architecture Building (across the street from the MAF) at 4000 15th Ave NE.
The demonstrations on MAF instruments will provide application examples for much of the material covered in the workshop lectures. The Read More
The MAF Characterization Workshop, Aug. 22-23, includes lectures in the morning and instrument ‘hands on’ demonstrations in the afternoon.
MAF staff scientist Dr. Samantha Young manages the x-ray diffractometer (XRD) and two x-ray photoelectron spectrometers (XPS) in the MAF. Both are instruments that use x-rays to analyze a material, but provide different information. Learn more about Samantha and her work in our Q&A!
To support the use of nanotechnology tools to develop innovative, new technologies, the Northwest Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NNI) is offering seed grants for work to be conducted in our fabrication or characterization facilities. These grants are designed to help users build and characterize prototypes, obtain preliminary results and conduct proof of concept studies.
MAF staff member Dan Graham was recently selected to receive the 2021 AVS Applied Surface Science Division Peter M. A. Sherwood Mid-Career Professional Award for innovation and leadership in the application of Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to organic and biological materials and for the development of practical multivariate analysis tools.
The Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute annual report for the 2019-20 academic year is now available. Learn about the work being done at MolES and the MAF by our faculty, students, and staff! The report features a snapshot of our institute, research highlights, faculty awards, our work to address racism in STEM, graduating students, and letters from the MolES and MAF directors.
Read the full report here . Read More
MSE research assistant professor Shuai Zhang was recognized for his submission to the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) Image Contest 2020. This annual contest, called "Plenty of Beauty at the Bottom," celebrates the beauty of the micro and nanoscale. Images featured were produced at one of the 16 NNCI sites during the past year. Zhang's image, "Protein Chess Board in Nanoscale," was recognized in the Most Unique Capability category .
Zhang submitted an atomic force microscopy (AFM) averaged morphological image of the two-dimensional protein crystals of mutated l-rhamnulose-1-phosphate aldolase (F88/C98RhuA) on muscovite mica. Read More
Micah Glaz, Molecular Analysis Facility staff scientist and nanomechanical testing expert, came to the UW as a postdoc before joining the MAF team to take advantage of the opportunity to teach more while staying close to the forefront of scientific research. Read our Q&A with Micah!
We recently spoke with Ellen Lavoie, Molecular Analysis Facility staff scientist and electron microscopy expert, about how she came to be a TEM expert and what she loves about her work. Read our Q&A with Ellen!