Chad Mirkin

Chad Mirkin
Born	(1963-11-23) November 23, 1963 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Residence	U.S.
Nationality	United States
Alma mater	Dickinson College, Pennsylvania State University
Awards	Wilhelm Exner Medal, 2017; William H. Nichols Medal Award, 2017; Dan David Prize, 2016; Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize in Convergence Research, 2015; Linus Pauling Award, 2013; Lemelson-MIT Prize, 2009
Scientific career
Fields	Chemistry, Materials science, and Nanotechnology
Institutions	Northwestern University

External video

“Nanotechnology: Moving Beyond Small Thinking”, Chad Mirkin, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)

Chad Alexander Mirkin (born November 23, 1963) is an American chemist. He is the George B. Rathmann professor of chemistry, professor of medicine, professor of materials science and engineering, professor of biomedical engineering, and professor of chemical and biological engineering, and director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology and Center for Nanofabrication and Molecular Self-Assembly at Northwestern University.^[1]

Mirkin is known for his development of nanoparticle-based biodetection schemes, the invention of dip-pen nanolithography (recognized by National Geographic as one of the top 100 scientific discoveries that changed the world), and contributions to supramolecular chemistry, nanoelectronics, and nanooptics. In 2010, he was listed as the most cited chemist in the world over the last decade in terms of total citations, the second highest most cited chemist^[2] in terms of impact factor,^[3] and the top most cited nanomedicine researcher.^[4] He was the first chemist to be elected into all three branches of the National Academies. He has published over 700 manuscripts (Google Scholar H-index = 163) and has over 1100 patents and patent applications (over 300 issued, over 80% licensed as of April 1, 2018). These discoveries and innovations have led to over 2000 commercial products that are being used worldwide.

Early life and education

Mirkin was born November 23, 1963, in Phoenix, Arizona.^[5] He received his B.S. degree from Dickinson College in 1986 and his Ph.D. from Penn State University in 1989.^[1][6] He was an NSF postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he worked with Professor Mark S. Wrighton on microelectrode devices for electrocatalysis.^[7] He became a professor at Northwestern University in 1991.^[6]

Research

The focus of his research is on developing methods for controlling the architecture of molecules and materials on the 1 - 100 nm length scale and utilizing such structures in the development of analytical tools that can be used in the areas of chemical and biological sensing, lithography, catalysis, and optics. Mirkin has pioneered the use of DNA and nanoparticles as synthons in materials science and the development of nanoparticle-based biodiagnostics.^[1][6]

A common strategy used by Mirkin's group is the use of the unique properties of spherical nucleic acids (SNAs), spherical arrangements of nucleic acids with or without organic or inorganic nanoparticle cores, to enable the synthesis of novel materials and colloidal crystals, the development of high sensitivity probes for chemical and medical diagnostic purposes, and single-entity structures capable of intracellular gene regulation. His 1996 work with SNA-gold nanoparticle conjugates introduced the concept of a nanoparticle as an atom and nucleic acids as bonds, and it laid the ground work for the fields of colloidal crystal engineering with DNA and molecular diagnostics based upon well-defined nanoparticle and nanocrystal bioconjugates. SNAs are the cornerstone of Luminex's FDA-cleared Verigene system, EMD Millipore's SmartFlare platform, and four drugs in human clinical trials. In addition, his inventions of DPN, Polymer Pen Lithography (PPL), and Beam Pen Lithography (BPL) are the basis for the TERA-fab M and E series commercial patterning tools, known as desktop fabs (TERA-print, LLC).

Mirkin served on several editorial advisory boards, including ACS Nano, the Journal of the American Chemical Society and Angewandte Chemie. He is the founding editor of the nanotechnology journal Small, and he is an associate editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Mirkin is a founder of multiple companies, including Nanosphere (acquired by Luminex), AuraSense, CDJ Technologies, TERA-print, and Exicure.

Science policy

In addition to his academic and research work, Mirkin has been involved in shaping science policy decisions. From 2009 to 2017 Mirkin was appointed to President Barack Obama's President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).^[8][9]

Mirkin co-chaired and contributed chapters (“Applications: Nanobiosystems, Medicine, and Health” and “Synthesis, Processing, and Manufacturing of Components, Devices, and Systems”) to the world study on nanotechnology research directions for societal needs (Nanotechnology Research Directions for Societal Needs in 2020: Retrospective and Outlook, Boston and Berlin: Springer 2010. Roco, M. C.; Mirkin, C. A.; Hersam, M. C., editors). He also co-chaired the PCAST report titled, “Engage to Excel,” focusing on teaching and engagement issues involving students who are in their first two years of undergraduate study at R-1, 2 and 4-year institutions, and community colleges. Mirkin also served as the PCAST ex-officio member of the Advanced Manufacturing Steering Committee. The report produced by the committee calls for sustaining the investments in advanced science and technology that produced America’s innovation economy and the establishment of a National Network of Manufacturing Innovation Institutes.

Mirkin participated as a delegate at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2011 Summit (Honolulu), with leaders, including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and representatives from Fortune 500 companies. At APEC, he served on a panel with the president of Chile, Sebastian Piñera Echenique, focused on, “Game Changing Technology Redefining the Region.”

Awards and honors

Chad Mirkin with AIC Gold Medal, 2016

• 2018 - Friendship Award
• 2018 - Harrison Howe Award^[10]
• 2018 - Nano Research Award
• 2017 - William H. Nichols Medal Award
• 2017 - Dickson Prize
• 2016 - Rusnano Prize^[11]
• 2016 - Dan David Prize
• 2016 - American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal^[12]
• 2015 - American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Fellow
• 2015 - Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize in Convergence Research of the National Academy of Sciences^[13]
• 2015 - Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize^[14]
• 2014 – Honorary Degree, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
• 2014 – Vittorio De Nora Award, Electrochemical Society
• 2014 – Honorary Professor, Nanjing Tech University
• 2014 – Honorary Fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society
• 2013 – Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year
• 2013 – Linus Pauling Award
• 2012 – Lee Kuan Yew Distinguished Visitor to Singapore
• 2012 – Honorary Doctorate of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• 2012 – Honorary Professor, Hunan University
• 2012 – American Chemical Society Award for Creative Invention
• 2011 – Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 2010 – Member of the Institute of Medicine
• 2010 – Member of the National Academy of Sciences
• 2009 – Member of the National Academy of Engineering
• 2009 – Lemelson-MIT Prize^[15]
• 2007 – Alumni Fellow, Pennsylvania State University
• 2004 – NIH Director's Pioneer Award
• 2004 – Collegiate Inventors Award, National Inventors Hall of Fame
• 2004 – Outstanding Science Alumni Award, Pennsylvania State University
• 2004 – Honorary Degree, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
• 2004 – American Chemical Society Nobel Laureate Signature Award
• 2003 – Collegiate Inventors Award, National Inventors Hall of Fame
• 2003 – Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize
• 2002 – Feynman Prize
• 2001 – Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award
• 2000 – Appointed to chair endowed by George B. Rathmann^[16]
• 1999 – ACS Award in Pure Chemistry
• 1992 – Beckman Young Investigators Award^[17]

References

External links

• Northwestern University Chemistry Department
• The Mirkin Research Group
• Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University