News Archive

Samantha McDonald Awarded Prestigious Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences

Samantha McDonald, a postdoctoral research associate in chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been awarded a 2026 Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences, one of the most prestigious awards for early-career scientists in chemistry who are opening new directions in research, from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.

A Smartphone Moment for Kidney Dialysis

A team of engineers, chemists and physicians at UNC-Chapel Hill is developing a breakthrough membrane technology that could shrink today’s refrigerator-sized dialysis machines into a wearable, smartphone-sized artificial kidney—potentially transforming care for hundreds of millions of patients worldwide.

Scientists Turn Perovskite Materials into Light Sources for Quantum Communication

Researchers in the Moran Lab have demonstrated a new way to encode information in light using a class of materials known as two-dimensional perovskites.

Layered Crystals Show Promise for Next-generation Optical Technology

A Department of Chemistry study is shedding light on how a special class of materials called perovskites could help improve future optical technologies, from advanced sensors to telecommunications devices.

Graduate Students to Lead Symposium at National Conference on Chronic Lab Toxicity

At a conference celebrated for scientific breakthroughs, graduate students are turning the spotlight onto the hidden risks faced by scientists.

Simple Cobalt Catalyst Unlocks Hard-to-Use Chemical Building Blocks

Researchers report a new catalytic method that may finally make abundant chemicals compounds called alkyl chlorides far easier to use.

In New Textbook, Andrey Dobrynin Simplifies the Science Behind Everyday Materials

A textbook published by Andrey Dobrynin explains how polymers behave and why that behavior matters in real life.

Kevin Weeks Named Senior Member of National Academy of Inventors for Transformative RNA Discoveries

Kevin Weeks, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors.

Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award Fuels Breakthrough on How Proteins Behave Inside Cells

Gary Pielak has received a Distinguished Scholar Fellowship from the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program that will fund a four-month research residency in Israel.

When Microscopes Make Masterpieces at the 2026 Art in Science Competition

In March, stunning images hidden will move out of the lab and into the spotlight during the 2026 Art in Science Competition.

Scientists Develop Implant to Treat Eye Disease Threatening Military Marine Mammals

An unusual collaboration including veterinarians, marine mammal specialists and chemists is treating PCK, a group of eye diseases that affects the surface of the eye, with ocular implants..

Older Forever Chemicals Plunge in Blood Tests as New Replacements Quietly Emerge

In the study, “Evaluating Legacy and Emerging PFAS in Human Blood Collected from 2003 to 2021,” the UNC-led research team wanted to see whether PFAS exposure might be linked to autoimmunediseases.