Washington University in St Louis

The Preston M. Green Department of
Electrical & Systems Engineering

We build novel imaging technologies

Lew Lab group photo

The Lew Lab builds advanced imaging systems to study biological and chemical systems at the nanoscale. Our technology leverages innovations in applied optics, signal and image processing, design optimization, and physical chemistry. We partner with scientists and engineers across all disciplines to develop technologies to solve unmet needs in science, medicine, and society.

Diversity fosters creative ideas to challenging problems

Lew Lab diversity and inclusion
Poster courtesy of sammykatta.com/diversity.

The Lew Lab is a team of inventors, thinkers, and problem solvers working at the intersection of science and technology.

Creating impactful technology is our passion

We invent advanced nanoscopes with nanometer resolution that visualize single molecules in biological and chemical systems. [WebM - 48 MB]
Our novel microscopes robustly measure the 3D positions and 3D orientations of single fluorescent molecules using very little light. [WEBM - 13.0 MB]
Deep learning helps us robustly image molecules' positions and orientations using only 2D camera images with incredible speed and accuracy. [MP4 - 3.97 MB]
Our imaging systems resolve the nanoscale architecture of amyloid peptide aggregates, a key signature of Alzheimer's disease. [WebM - 20.3 MB]

Lab news

Upcoming talks

SERMACS 2023, Durham, NC, October 25-28, 2023 Matt will present “Single-fluorogen imaging reveals the nanoscale structure of beta-sheet assemblies and biomolecular condensates” in the “Single-molecule Dynamics in Complex Chemical and Biological Systems” session at SERMACS 2023. Come see his talk on Friday, October 27 at 10:15 AM in the Duke Rehearsal Hall - Durham Arts Council.

Capturing images of molecules with a new level of resolution: An interview with Prof. Matthew Lew” was published in Wiley Analytical Science magazine.

Gordon Research Conferences Chemical Imaging 2023 Poster Award to Weiyan Zhou Congratulations to Weiyan, who won a poster award at the Chemical Imaging GRC 2023!

Our lab has received a five-year $2 million Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop adaptive six-dimensional microscopy. Congrats, all!

More news...