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.

We stand up for science

We stand up for science
Flyer adapted from Stand Up for Science. Learn about important policy goals here.

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

Lab news

Upcoming talks

Pacifchem LogoDecember 17: Matt will be giving a talk in the “Advances in Single-Molecule and Single-Particle Imaging” session at Pacifchem. He will speak on “Single-fluorogen orientation-localization microscopy: fundamental limits, new developments, and applications” at 8:40 AM in Sea Pearl III & IV (Hilton Hawaiian Village).

SPIE Photonics West LogoJanuary 17, 2026: Yuanxin will be giving a talk in the “Single Molecule Spectroscopy and Superresolution Imaging XIX” session at SPIE Photonics West. He will speak on “Sensing negative cone rotational diffusion of dipole-like emitters” at 11:20 AM in Room 154 (Moscone South, Upper Mezzanine).

Our correction to “Single-molecule orientation localization microscopy I: fundamental limits” is now online in JOSA A.

Yiyang and Yuanxin win poster award at SPECTRA conference 2025 SPECTRA student-led conference flyer Congratulations, Yiyang and Yuanxin, on receiving a second-place poster prize at the annual WashU SPECTRA student-led conference!

Brian portrait Congratulations, Brian, on receiving the WashU Imaging Science Pathway (ISP) Fellowship Award!

Biological applications of SMOLM Our review, co-authored with Sophie Brasselet, on super-resolution polarization-resolved fluorescence microscopy is now online in Nature Photonics. Our lab develops these techniques to create images of molecular 3D orientations, wobble, and positions. Our advancements open possibilities to explore the nanoscale organization and conformation of biomolecules as well as to monitor and design local 3D optical fields in nanophotonics. Read about it here:
- WashU Expert: Optical microscopes take a big leap forward
- “Single-molecule orientation and localization microscopy

Our correction to “Single-Molecule Orientation Imaging Reveals the Nano-Architecture of Amyloid Fibrils Undergoing Growth and Decay” is now online in Nano Letters.

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