NUANCE Hosts Guest Speaker Seminar

On July 31, the NUANCE Center welcomed three guest speakers for a special seminar highlighting exciting research at the intersection of electron microscopy, materials science, and biological structures.

Held in the Materials Science and Engineering Conference Room at Cook Hall, the event brought together researchers, students, and members of the Northwestern community for a morning of talks and discussion. The seminar featured presentations from experts working across diverse areas of microscopy and characterization.

Kai He, PhD, from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, opened the seminar with “Advanced Electron Microscopy: From Atomic Imaging to Materials Insights,” sharing how advanced electron microscopy techniques are helping researchers better understand materials at the atomic scale.

Vivian Merk, PhD, from Florida Atlantic University, presented “Investigating mineralized structures in living organisms: From skeletal support to metabolic function,” exploring how microscopy can reveal the structure and function of mineralized biological materials.

Yanhang Ma, PhD, from ShanghaiTech University, concluded the seminar with “Crystal Structural Analysis of Chiral Nanocrystals,” highlighting approaches for understanding the unique structures and properties of chiral nanomaterials.

The seminar provided an opportunity for the NUANCE community to connect with researchers from around the world and exchange ideas about the latest developments in microscopy and materials characterization. Events like these support NUANCE’s mission to foster collaboration, learning, and innovation across scientific disciplines.