Kickoff Meeting for Phase I of the NSF‑Funded Center for Accelerated Photocatalysis
Front row (left to right): Gabriel dos Passos Gomes, Azka Arshad, Khantey Lim, and Todd Hyster
On August 12, the Integrative Sciences Initiative hosted researchers and partners across several institutions to launch Phase I of the Center for Accelerated Photocatalysis (CAPs), supported by a $1.8 million award from the National Science Foundation’s Centers for Chemical Innovation program.
Led by Felix Castellano (PI and director) and Milad Abolhasani (associate director), the Phase I CAPs team brings together experts from NC State, Carnegie Mellon University, Princeton University, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The team comprises chemists and engineers with complementary expertise in synthesis, catalysis, photochemistry, spectroscopy, flow chemistry, machine learning and self-driving laboratories. The center’s goal is to advance the use of self-driving laboratories in photocatalysis by integrating automation, robotics and machine learning into chemical discovery workflows.
The Phase I kickoff meeting included presentations from early career researchers, who shared updates on their current work and research projects. Attendees also toured Abolhasani’s self-driving fluidic laboratory, learning about the infrastructure and systems that will support CAPs research.
“The soon-to-be reported technologies under development engendered so much excitement from our collaborators. Everyone clearly sees how this SDL/automation infrastructure will positively impact their collective research programs in cross-collaborative endeavors,” said Castellano.
The day concluded with a guest talk by Dr. Marty Burke, (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) titled “Imagine a World Where Anyone Can Make Molecules,” which emphasized access, scalability, and the potential for broader participation in molecular discovery.
The ISI and Woodson Hall provide important scholarly strengths that position NC State to serve as a national hub for both the physical and digital infrastructure needed to support self-driving laboratories. CAPs adds to this momentum by advancing light-driven applications of self-driving laboratories, as well as enabling access to sustainable, scalable, and more efficient chemical reaction pathways
In parallel, NC State researchers received a UNC System Research Opportunities Initiative (ROI) grant in 2023 to support the development of next-generation SDLs for accelerating molecular and biological innovations.
