News Archive

UNC Chemists Turn Flat Molecules into Precise 3D Building Blocks for Medicines

The UNC team asked whether salicylaldehydes could be used to set a molecule’s shape early on and then carry that information through later steps.

Chemistry Student Uses Laser Flashes, a Powerful New Technique, to Track Electricity Inside Solar Cells

Saba Mahmoodpour is the lead author of a recent Journal of Physical Chemistry paper, which focuses on a powerful new technique called nonlinear photocurrent spectroscopy, or NLPC, which uses pairs of short laser pulses to measure how quickly electrical charges move inside thin-film solar cells.

Ph.D. Student Uses Machine Learning to Transform Gene Therapy Production

Ph.D. student Kelvin Idanwekhai is using machine learning to transform how viruses—the microscopic couriers of genetic medicine—are purified, making the process faster, cheaper and more precise.

UNC Researchers Create Low-Cost Antibody Test Using Common Glucometers

A team of researchers led by Netz Arroyoa asked themselves whether they could turn antibody testing into something as easy and affordable as checking a person's blood sugar.

UNC Researchers Receive Best Paper Award for Breakthrough Study on African Biomass Smoke

The research revealed a strong, direct relationship between the amount of brown carbon in the smoke and how much light the particles absorb, especially at ultraviolet wavelengths.

Department of Chemistry Announces 2026 Faculty Promotions

The Department of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is delighted to announce the promotion of two outstanding faculty members to the rank of Professor, effective January 1, 2026.

Shubin Liu Appointed Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry

The UNC Department of Chemistry is pleased to share that Professor Shubin Liu has been appointed the next editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry (IJQC).

Microscopic Animals Use Mitochondrial Signal to Survive Extreme Stress

Researchers describe how tardigrades are able to survive in a specific condition, known as osmotic stress.

Two College faculty named National Academy of Inventors fellows

Chemist Mark Schoenfisch and physicist Otto Zhou were among 185 inductees this year to receive one of the most prestigious distinctions awarded to inventors worldwide.

2025 Winter Alumni Magazine

Happy Holidays! We are pleased to present our Winter 2025 Alumni Magazine.

UNC Scientists Win $1 Million W. M. Keck Foundation Award to Decode the Secrets of AI-Designed Proteins

Two scientists at UNC-Chapel Hill, Gary Pielak and Brian Kuhlman, have received a $1 million Science and Engineering Research Award from the W.M. Keck Foundation to study AI-designed proteins.

James Custer’s Ph.D. ‘Scientific Bet’ Launches an Unexpected Career in Clean Energy Innovation

When James Custer arrived at UNC-Chapel Hill to begin his Ph.D. in chemistry, he didn’t know he was about to launch a career that would take him from high-stakes scientific discovery to global clean energy negotiations.