Michael Skinnider, an assistant professor in the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics and an assistant member of the Ludwig Cancer Research Princeton Branch, has been awarded a 2025 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering: https://bit.ly/4qjqRaP Skinnider’s work uses AI to identify chemical structures known as “metabolites” and discover how they influence health. The fellowships honor “the nation’s most promising early-career scientists and engineers,” according to The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. This year’s cohort includes 20 fellows, who will each receive $875,000 over five years to pursue blue-sky research. Princeton graduate alumni Maggie Hall Miller *20 and Darcy McRose *18 and former postdoc Charlotte Chan are also 2025 Packard Fellows.

KAUST PhD candidate Elisa Grassi is advancing Raman-based liquid biopsy technology to support earlier and more accessible cancer detection. By combining optical sensing, signal processing, and custom micro-optics, her work aims to improve the precision and usability of non-invasive diagnostic tools. Elisa recently won the Falling Walls Foundation KAUST competition, earning a place at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, where emerging researchers pitch breakthrough ideas to a global audience. She conducts her research under the supervision of Professor Carlo Liberale. “I’m truly glad to have the opportunity to showcase my project, as I deeply believe in its potential and purpose. Winning Falling Walls KAUST was an unforgettable experience. I’ll do my very best to represent KAUST in Berlin next week and, hopefully, bring home the first prize.” We also acknowledge Abeer Alamoudi from KAUST CEMSE, the second place winner who will join Elisa in Berlin. We wish them both success as they prepare to take the stage at this global forum. #KAUST #BESE #CEMSE #Bioengineering #FallingWalls #EmergingTalents #ResearchExcellence #CancerDetection #WomenInSTEM #Scicomm

Meet our 2025 Moore Inventor Fellows. The 2025 cohort of scientist-inventors plan to: 🧠 Develop memory and computing interfaces that emulate brain synapses, enabling energy-efficient systems capable of learning, remembering and processing information. ♨️ Create a novel energy storage system that combines energy capture, storage and delivery within single organic molecules, providing a compact and scalable solution for clean heating. 🔬 Employ entangled photon measurements to improve diagnosis of disease onset and monitor cellular metabolic balance. 🪸 Use a new biomaterial to support coral reef restoration by promoting coral recruitment and survival. 🧬 Apply gene-correction technologies to treat genetic diseases, including complex neurological disorders previously deemed untreatable. Image cards: The 2025 Moore Inventor Fellows — Omar Abudayyeh, Scott Cushing, Grace G. D. Han, Qiong Ma and Daniel Wangpraseurt Learn about these scientist-inventors ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gcsSzeqd #MooreInventors #SciencePhilanthropy

Czech scientists are making a name for themselves in Germany! Dozens of them work at prestigious institutes and increasingly in technology transfer. A good example is DeepEn which was founded as a spin-off from Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology and also received the Leibniz Association Start-Up Prize this year. Its mission is to develop microendoscopes for brain research using optical fibres that are as thin as a hair. Similar to ADVACAM Cameras, these are specialized imaging methods with a wide range of applications, not limited to neuroscience and medicine. DeepEn has already secured capital from German investors and will soon present its finished product at a prestigious conference. https://lnkd.in/eUBpWQin

Last week in European deep tech: 👉 European Commission launched two strategies to speed up AI uptake in European industry and science 👉 Italy (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana & co) bets €100M on space smart factory to boost Europe's satellite game, reports Tech Funding News 👉 Phagos gets €25M boost to combat bacterial diseases, reports Tech.eu 👉 and more. Congratulations to Michel H. Devoret, an EU-funded physicist, for winning the 2025 Nobel Prize in physics. Here's a quick recap of European deep tech news for the week ending October 12th, 2025: https://lnkd.in/dPGJh5Yq

Our new study is inspired by one of my most favorite things - #flowers Imagine a garden, invisible to our eyes, where these tiny #DNA flowers bloom and close with perfect timing, following the rhythm of changes in temperature or acidity. Now - Imagine the potential - a therapeutic capsule that opens and releases its contents only when it detects a tumor, leaving healthy tissue alone. Or microscopic robots programmed to navigate the bloodstream to dissolve clots or collect biopsies, all non-invasively. Watch the trailer (sound on) to learn more and explore the full study here: https://lnkd.in/eSZWuUSc Nature Portfolio | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC Research

🌟 Exciting Neuromorphic News from LTU! 🌟 We at the Machine Learning at Lulea University of Technology and ProcessIT Innovations, Luleå University of Technology, are thrilled to share that the PHINDER project (Picosecond-scale Photonic Heterogeneous Integrated Neuromorphic Detector) has officially entered the Grant Preparation phase under the Horizon Europe EIC Pathfinder Open 2025 programme! 🚀    PHINDER aims to deliver disruptive hardware innovations by combining neuromorphic intelligence with advanced photonic technologies, enabling sub-nanosecond optical monitoring and real-time data analysis for transformative applications in science, healthcare, and industry.    This ambitious project is a joint effort between:  🤝 Luleå University of Technology (Coordinator) – Fredrik Sandin, lama alkhaled 🤝 Lund University – Anders Mikkelsen 🤝 Technische Universiteit Eindhoven – Patty Stabile 🤝 Universidad de Oviedo – Pietro Vischia 🤝Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare INFN- Tommaso Dorigo 🤝universidad de cantabria uc- Pablo Martinez Ruiz del Arbol 🤝 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Belgium- Wolfger Peelaers ; Thomas Van Vaerenbergh We’re proud to be part of this strong European consortium, and we extend our gratitude to all partners for their dedication and great teamwork; this success is truly a shared achievement. 🙌    Looking forward to advancing the frontiers of ultrafast photonic sensing and neuromorphic intelligence together! #HorizonEurope #EICPathfinder #PHINDER #Photonics #Neuromorphic #Innovation #ResearchExcellence #ProcessIT #MachineLearning #LTU 

✨ We are proud to introduce the brilliant minds behind our research in the NOVO project. Today, meet one of our (former) researchers, Lena Setterdahl:   “I am a physicist in training with a master’s degree in medical physics and currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science within the NOVO group at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.   Within the NOVO project, my responsibilities focus on detector modeling and the development of image reconstruction algorithms. A key part of my work involves exploring how deep learning techniques can enhance image reconstruction for proton therapy range verification. This includes both the technical aspects of detector simulations and the methodological side of applying advanced machine learning to improve reconstruction quality.   What excites me most is the innovative approach NOVO takes toward proton therapy range verification. The project aims to address one of the major uncertainties in proton therapy, verifying the proton dose and range inside the patient, with a level of precision not yet possible in clinical practice. Knowing that my work has the potential to contribute to safer treatments and better outcomes for patients gives my research a strong sense of purpose and meaning.   I believe my work in NOVO can contribute to future cancer treatment by demonstrating the benefits of deep learning-aided image reconstruction, a field that is only beginning to be explored in this context. By improving reconstruction quality and precision, we can enable more reliable verification of proton dose delivery and range. This has the potential to ultimately improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients undergoing proton therapy.”   Just as a side note: Lena successfully defended her PhD thesis on September 30, 2025. So, once again we would like to congratulate Dr. Setterdahl! Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology Boğaziçi University Fraunhofer ENAS University of Bergen (UiB) Target Systemelektronik Haukeland universitetssjukehus The University of Manchester TÜBİTAK BİLGEM   #ProtonTherapy #MedicalPhysics #RangeVerification #AdaptiveTherapy #DeepLearning #MonteCarlo #RadiationOncology #NOVOProject #Research #Innovation #EUfunded #HorizonEurope #EICPathfinder #ResearcherIntroductions

Last week, Dr. Giorgos Tsibidis from Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH) presented some METAMORPHA material in his presentation "Laser-Based Fabrication Strategies for High-Resolution and Functional Biomimetic Structures" at the inaugural International Conference of the #PanHellenicOpticalSociety (PHOS). The event was a great success and seems likely to be the beginning of an important new conference series! https://lnkd.in/eQHdwDYE #METAMORPHA #LIMES #HorizonEurope #EFFRA #MadeInEurope

Research Funding News 🔬  Muscular Dystrophy UK is funding research at the University of Portsmouth for the first time, an exciting milestone for our Faculty! 🎉 Led by Professor Darek Gorecki, from the School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, this two-year project will investigate the earliest stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) to explore whether earlier treatment could slow or prevent muscle damage. This work is part of Muscular Dystrophy UK’s £2 million investment into 13 pioneering projects across the UK, advancing understanding, treatment, and care for people living with muscle-wasting conditions. #MuscularDystrophyUK #DMDResearch #MedicalResearch #ResearchImpact  #FacultyofScienceandHealth