Washington University in St Louis

The Preston M. Green Department of
Electrical & Systems Engineering

Our innovations redefine how scientists see the invisible.

Lew Lab group photo

The Lew Lab integrates advanced optical design, computation, and biophysical chemistry to create multidimensional optical imaging systems that transcend conventional limits, thereby capturing molecular positions, orientations, chemical environments, and biomolecular interactions in unprecedented detail. The team collaborates across biochemistry, physics, and engineering to translate fundamental discoveries in nanoscale sensing into imaging technologies that accelerate breakthroughs in biology, medicine, and materials science.

We stand up for science.

We stand up for science
Flyer adapted from Stand Up for Science. Learn about how scientific research improves our health, our society, and our economy.

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

Meet our team

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. [MP4 - 13.9 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 environmental and structural features of biomolecular condensates. [MP4 - 30.2 MB]
Learn more about our research

Lab news

Upcoming talks

SPIE Photonics West Logo30 January 2027: Yiyang will present our collaborative work with Carlos Fernandez-Granda (New York Univ.) and Qing Qu (Univ. of Michigan) entitled, “DeepSMOLM3D: deep learning-based single-molecule imaging reveals distinct fluorogenic probe orientations upon membrane binding,” in the Single Molecule Spectroscopy and Superresolution Imaging XX session at SPIE Photonics West 2027 in San Francisco, CA.
31 January 2027: In the accompanying BIOS poster session, Alex will present his work on “Optimal excitation polarization designs to boost the precision of single-molecule orientation imaging.”

Student-led SPECTRA Conference 2026, Brauer 012 and Brauer lobbyThe lab attended the 2026 Student-led SPECTRA Conference. Matt gave an invited talk, and the group presented posters on our latest research.

Midwest Regional ACS Meeting 2026. October 25-27, 2026. Kansas State University Student Union Manhattan, KS 66506Matt gave an invited talk in the “Super-Resolved Spectroscopy: Physical Phenomena in Space and Time” session at the Midwest Regional ACS Meeting at Kansas State University.

Alex's research on optimizing excitation polarizations for SMOLMAlex's undergraduate research project, “Optimal Excitation Polarization Schemes to Boost the Precision of Single-Molecule Orientation Imaging,” is now online in Biomedical Optics Express. Congratulations!
- Update: Alex's work appears in McKelvey Engineering News: “How light can reveal the hidden orientation of a single molecule”

Yiyang and Yuanxin's review on single fluorogens and orientation-localization microscopyYiyang's and Yuanxin's review, “Single Fluorogens and Orientation-Localization Microscopy for Quantifying Chemical and Biomolecular Dynamics at the Nanoscale,” is now online in Accounts of Chemical Research. Congratulations!

Single-fluorogen sensing and single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy enable high-dimensional chemical imaging in complex systems. This illustration depicts how single fluorogens reveal network fluid architectures within biomolecular condensates, with dynamic hubs and spokes that are often invisible to conventional ensemble measurements. Image credit: Yuanxin Qiu.Update: Their article is featured on the cover of the August 18, 2026 issue of Accounts of Chemical Research!

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