Zhiyue Lu receives NSF CAREER Award to Study Intelligent Information Processing at the Molecular Scale

Zhiyue Lu receives NSF CAREER Award to Study Intelligent Information Processing at the Molecular Scale

January 11, 2022 | By UNC-Chapel Hill Chemistry Communication

Zhiyue Lu, assistant professor of chemistry, is the recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award.   

The award will be applied to his project, “Bio-inspired Nonequilibrium Design Principles of Molecular Information Machines” The Lu Group seeks to find the general design principles of molecular information machines and next-generation responsive materials, and to lay the theoretical foundation toward predicting the physical limits of the performances and thermodynamics costs for operating such smart materials.  

“Our group aims to develop a non-equilibrium theory to quantify and predict the molecule’s intelligent response to various external stimuli.” explains Lu “By learning from help us learn from living organisms that intelligently respond to complex environmental information, our theory will reveal the design principles of next–generation smart molecules and intelligent materials that mimic life.” 

The CAREER award is the NSF’s most prestigious early-career faculty award. It recognizes individuals who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department.  

Learn more about the NSF CAREER awards