Biomedical Engineer Eric Brouzes Awarded Competitive Japan Research Fellowship

A competitive fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science was awarded to Eric Brouzes to conduct research in Japan.

Brouzes, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering,mainly focuses his research on analyzing the diversity of cancer tissues and technology that creates and manipulates tiny droplets of liquids. While in Japan, his research will combine DNA nanotechnology and microphotonics. DNA nanotechnology uses DNA as a building material to create tiny, programmable structures or machines at a very small scale. Microphotonics is the technology of controlling and manipulating light, also on a very small scale.

"There were a lot of applicants to the JSPS fellowship," Brouzes said. "That's why it gets very competitive. This work will expand my research into areas that I was only teaching before. Now I get to re-expand and develop projects in that area."

The fellowship funds travel and two months of research in Tokyo. Brouzes will collaborate with Professor Masahiro Takinoue's lab, building on a prior sabbatical connection. The Japanese lab developed the basics of the DNA nanostars, it also provides advanced facilities, simulations and experimental expertise.

"I try to emphasize that collaborations like this bring my expertise and their expertise together," Brouzes said. "I think that synergy makes it very exciting, and it's going to make it productive."

The work is currently foundational, but has future biomedical potential. Potential applications for research include diagnostics, detection and treatment technologies.

"This represents exciting research that will make significant contributions to the fields ofartificial cell science, engineering biology and biosensing and is expected to find applications in diagnostics and molecular artificial intelligence in the future," said Takinoue.

While the majority of work will occur across the globe, this experience will help launch a new research direction at Stony Brook and build international connections.

"This project will not only build upon our previous collaborative work but also strengthen the connections between our two laboratories and foster partnerships between our two universities," Takinoue said.

"Strengthening our collaboration and then starting a new line of research in my lab are the goals," Brouzes said. " I think that's where we're going. The plan is to come back with ideas to pursue for biomedical applications."

- Angelina Livigni