Andy I. Nguyen
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andy-i-nguyen.bsky.social
Andy I. Nguyen
@andy-i-nguyen.bsky.social
Peptide self assembly, evolution, and bioinorganic chemistry. Assistant professor at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)

ainguyenlab.com
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
(1/x) Excited to report VIPS (Volumetric imaging of biological specimens via photochemical sectioning) @science.org! VIPS uses light-based sample sectioning to eliminate the inherent imaging depth limit of high-resolution optical microscopes @supgokul.bsky.social: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Mesoscale volumetric fluorescence imaging at nanoscale resolution by photochemical sectioning
Optical nanoscopy of intact biological specimens has been transformed by recent advancements in hydrogel-based tissue clearing and expansion, enabling the imaging of cellular and subcellular structure...
www.science.org
October 17, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
The Gao lab at #UIC reports a breakthrough in volumetric fluorescence imaging, featured on the cover of Science Magazine!

Their new technique, VIPS (Volumetric Imaging via Photochemical Sectioning), enables reconstruction of 3D images of whole tissues with unprecedented detail.
October 16, 2025 at 10:27 PM
We detail the design & synthesis of metal-ɑ-helix frameworks. If you are just interested in learning how to make #peptides, we have provided a thorough procedure for setting up your first solid phase peptide synthesis (#SPPS)!

Article free until Sept 6! tinyurl.com/v47fade9
#chemsky
July 19, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
🚨 New from UIC Chemistry! Led by the Hemley group, this #Science study reports the first 1-dimensional high-entropy oxide nanoribbons — materials that remain stable under extreme heat (1000°C), pressure (up to 12 GPa), and corrosive environments.
Read here: tinyurl.com/2djw8phs
#chemsky
June 3, 2025 at 6:01 PM
We are excited to announce our #JACS paper on frameworks with metalloprotein-like sites!

ɑ-helices designed to assemble by metal-coordination and the hydrophobic effect. Point mutations yield unique frameworks with diverse metalloprotein-like sites.

Article: tinyurl.com/jk62cb27
#Chemsky
May 8, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
🚨 New in #JACS: The Glusac group at #UIC has developed a new MOF composed of nanographene ligands, which acts as a photocatalyst for CO2 reduction using water as the terminal electron donor.

Read here: tinyurl.com/ejpm52hx
@jacs.acspublications.org @ksenia-glusac.bsky.social
May 5, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Pi-stacking offers powerful strategies to design structured and functional peptide materials of all dimensions.

Check out our review in just out in "Trends in Chemistry"! @cp-trendschem.bsky.social

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
April 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
Now in Nature Comm: The Hu group at #UIC developed NHS-ester dye labeling to tag live mammalian cell membranes for superresolution imaging—capturing dynamic protein distribution, cell-cell contacts, nanotube formation, and intercellular transfer in vivo.
#Chemsky

Article: tinyurl.com/rnzwnm7d
April 16, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Our lab currently has an open post-doc position for metallopeptide design. This research leverages peptide frameworks to design, synthesize, and characterize mimics and replicas of metalloenzyme active sites.

Learn more about our research: www.ainguyenlab.com/research
March 10, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
UIC Chemist Andy Nguyen's (@andy-i-nguyen.bsky.social) research lab, recognized with recent awards from
NIH, NSF, and DOE, is approaching breakthroughs in peptides and their societal impact.

Learn more about Dr. Nguyen's award-winning research: go.uic.edu/AndyNguyenat...
February 28, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
Discovery of a new Cu-dependent cellulose degrading enzyme for biomass conversion #glycotime (trying to overlook the extraneous proton, see if you can find it)

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A metagenomic ‘dark matter’ enzyme catalyses oxidative cellulose conversion - Nature
A metalloenzyme capable of oxidatively cleaving cellulose, found in a microbial community specialized in lignocellulose degradation, could enable sustainable biofuel production.
www.nature.com
February 13, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
I am so excited for this opportunity! Also, very grateful to the support from past and current mentors—particularly my PhD advisor Jeff Long and my postdoc mentor Nathan Gianneschi, but also many others along the way.
We are excited to welcome Julia Oktawiec @joktawiec.bsky.social to our faculty! The Oktawiec Lab will interface synthetic peptide-based oligomers, dendrimers, and polymers with coordination chemistry to design novel nanomaterials for sustainability and health.
oktawieclab.com
February 6, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
We are excited to welcome Julia Oktawiec @joktawiec.bsky.social to our faculty! The Oktawiec Lab will interface synthetic peptide-based oligomers, dendrimers, and polymers with coordination chemistry to design novel nanomaterials for sustainability and health.
oktawieclab.com
February 6, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Our lab is grateful to receive the NSF CAREER award to further develop π-stacking porous peptide frameworks!
@uic-chemistry.bsky.social

new.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
new.nsf.gov
January 22, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
Proud to lead 1 of 4 NSF-Chemistry projects strengthening scientific collaborations between the US and France! 🇺🇸🇫🇷
new.nsf.gov/mps/updates/...
NSF awards $1.7M to sustainable chemistry research in U.S.-French collaboration
new.nsf.gov
January 8, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
🚨 Now in #JACS : The Ayitou lab at #UIC has reported the first aerobic photon upconversion using all-organic donor-acceptor chromophores, which can perform doublet-to-triplet energy transfer (DTET).
Read it here: tinyurl.com/3ycxa4rf
Doublet Spin State Mediated Photoluminescence Upconversion in Organic Radical Donor-Triplet Acceptor Dyads
Donor–acceptor dyads are promising materials for improving triplet-sensitized photon upconversion due to faster intramolecular energy transfer (ET), which unfortunately competes with charge transfer (...
tinyurl.com
December 23, 2024 at 4:18 PM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
New paper from the Jiang lab at UIC is featured on the cover of ACS Nano!

"Chemically Interrogating N-Heterocyclic Carbenes at the Single-Molecule Level Using Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy"

Read it here: t.co/pLEXMqF6mm
November 26, 2024 at 12:13 AM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
I’ve started a starter pack on peptide design. Please suggest more colleagues to be added or let me know if you want to be added. Peptides rock!

go.bsky.app/QL4rSPE
November 19, 2024 at 7:40 AM
Reposted by Andy I. Nguyen
The University of Illinois Chicago Chemistry Department is excited to join #chemsky!
November 21, 2024 at 3:28 AM