SPIE

Join us for the next #SPIE AR, VR, MR Fireside Chat on 29 October at 9:00 AM PT, featuring Joe Lowney, VP of Eyepiece Engineering at Magic Leap. Register: content.spie.org/WBN-2026-10-...

bit.lySunitinib induces coordinated mitochondrial, lysosomal, and endoplasmic reticulum disruption, leading to cellular collapseSignificanceUnderstanding the subcellular mechanisms of sunitinib toxicity is critical for improving its therapeutic efficacy and minimizing adverse effects, as its intracellular mechanisms remain inc

Sunitinib appears to trigger a coordinated breakdown of key cellular systems, including mitochondria, lysosomes, & the endoplasmic reticulum. Understanding how these organelles fail together could help explain drug-driven cancer cell death. https://bit.ly/4h6Rs8u #BiophotonicsDiscovery 🧪

The future #photonics workforce starts with awareness. 💡 Early #STEMEducation and industry outreach can help students connect the technologies they use every day with careers in photonics. Read the full article in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4ydAn1X

Can light reveal how much of a topical drug makes it through the skin without adding dyes or labels? New study explores label-free quantification of drug permeation in skin using optical methods! Open-access paper in #BiophotonicsDiscovery - https://bit.ly/4yTsv6v ⚛️💡

Methane is invisible, but hyperspectral imaging can make its emissions visible and measurable. 📏 🛰️ Discover how thermal infrared imaging helps detect methane leaks remotely and estimate emission rates in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4iftTuu

📢 @icfo.eu is offering Fall 2026 fellowships for undergraduate and master’s students, with projects spanning nanophotonics, biophotonics, optical sensing, & more. 💡 Up to 12 months of funding is available, including SPIE@ICFO María Yzuel Fellowship Awards. Apply: https://bit.ly/4rMf6um #WomenInSTEM

spiedigitallibrary.orgExtracorporeal near-infrared–activated antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for pneumonia using an ICG–polymer formulationSignificancePneumonia remains a global health challenge, exacerbated by antimicrobial resistance, which limits the effectiveness of conventional treatments. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) h

Can light help fight pneumonia? 💡⚛️ Researchers are exploring extracorporeal near-IR-activated antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, aiming to kill pathogens using light-triggered chemistry. A promising approach to infection treatment: https://bit.ly/4d0vz8d #BiophotonicsDiscovery

You know Lewis structures. But did you know Gilbert N. Lewis also gave us the word “photon”? 💡🧪 His theory on the particle nature of light was ultimately rejected, but the name he proposed in 1926 stuck. Read more in the September/October issue of #PhotonicsFocus: spie.org/news/photoni...

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There was one problem: physicists were already embracing a different explanation. Einstein disagreed with Lewis’s theory of a constant number of photons, and the idea was largely dismissed. But Lewis’s terminology survived.

At the Fifth Solvay Conference on Physics in 1927, scientists adopted “photon” to describe a quantum of electromagnetic radiation. Lewis’s theory didn't stick, but his word became fundamental to how we talk about light.

Lewis is best known for explaining how atoms share electrons to form chemical bonds. His electron-dot diagrams, now called Lewis structures, are still taught in chemistry classes. But one of his most lasting contributions came from looking beyond chemistry and into the physics of light.

In a 1926 letter to Nature, Lewis proposed a new idea about light particles.💡 Building on the work of Max Planck and Albert Einstein, he suggested that photons could neither be created nor destroyed, but instead moved in and out of atoms while carrying energy. 🔋

🔭 From ultraviolet #instrumentation to future mission concepts, explore the #SPIE_JATIS special section “Ultraviolet Science and Instrumentation: On the Way to the NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond” and the research shaping astronomy's future. Read the collection: https://bit.ly/3VRwMJb

24,000 registrants. 4,500+ presentations. 1,400+ exhibitors. #PhotonicsWest is back! It will bring the global #optics and #photonics community back together from 30 Jan–4 Feb 2027 and will include the debut of the Embedded Vision Summit. Read the press release: spie.org/news/interna...

SPIE and Montana State University have established a $1-million endowed professorship to support #optics and #photonics teaching and research. SPIE’s $500,000 gift was matched by a $500,000 bequest, marking the 15th endowment established through our matching program. 💡 spie.org/news/spie-an...

Join us in Prague, Czech Republic, for #SPIEOptoelectronics! 💡 Share your latest findings in the technology, integration, and application of #optics and #optoelectronic devices with other professionals. #CallForPapers are due on 4 November. Browse the conference topics: https://bit.ly/4q3VkJZ

Can #spacetime be distorted in the lab? 🌌 Engineer Chance Glenn is using laser interferometry to detect tiny changes in optical path length as he investigates experimental spacetime distortion and its potential applications in #propulsion. Read more: https://bit.ly/4dcSSMk #Astro #PhotonicsFocus

bit.lyStructured light at the extreme: harnessing spatiotemporal control for high-field laser–matter interactionsWe chart the emerging paradigm of intelligent structured light for high-field laser–matter interactions, where the precise spatiotemporal and vectorial control of light is a critical degree of freedom

What happens when we shape light not just in space, but in time too?💡🕰️ Researchers are exploring the frontier of structured light, where spatiotemporal control could enable new laser capabilities + open doors to studying extreme light-matter interactions. https://bit.ly/4hiwbrb #AdvancedPhotonics

bit.lyMachine learning approach for enumeration of circulating cells with diffuse in vivo flow cytometrySignificanceDiffuse in vivo flow cytometry (DiFC) is an emerging technique for enumerating rare, fluorescently labeled circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in small animals without drawing blood samples. Di

Can machine learning help count circulating cells more accurately? A new study in #BiophotonicsDiscovery explores an ML-based approach for enumerating cells detected with diffuse optical methods, aiming to improve cell monitoring in #biophotonics applications: https://bit.ly/3TgocD4 💡

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ESO

@eso.org

4 Sept

Heard the news? The new VLT instrument MOONS, built by a consortium led by the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, has made its first observations 🙌 Get the gist with this video by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlAdjG7exug 🔭 🧪 #instrumentation 1/2

youtube.comMOONS captures its first light, no telescope has ever seen this beforeMOONS has captured its first light, almost one thousand objects in ...

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SFU Physics

@sfuphysics.bsky.social

We are hiring! The Department of Physics at Simon Fraser University is inviting applications for two full-time continuing teaching faculty appointments at the Lecturer level. Application review will begin Dec. 1, 2026. @sfuscience.bsky.social www.sfu.ca/physics/abou...

sfu.caEmployment Opportunities

Antarctic ice is helping us see some of the universe’s most elusive particles.🔭 Francis Halzen has received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to IceCube and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos. 💡 Read more: https://bit.ly/4zjCbat

Optogenetics takes the spotlight!💡 The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 was awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, & Georg Nagel “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.” We congratulate everyone who supported this work. 👏 spie.org/news/optogen...

In honor of their accomplishments, we have made Deisseroth and Hegemann's past SPIE publications available for free in the Digital Library. www.spiedigitallibrary.org/2026-nobel-p...

FIR gap? Not for long. 🛰️ NASA’s PRIMA will help #astronomers fill the gap in our ability to observe the far-infrared universe. It’s also the first mission in NASA’s new Probe Explorers class. 🔭 Read this article to learn more: https://bit.ly/4hCfSW7

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physicsworld.comInventors of optogenetics win Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine – Physics WorldKarl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel are joint winners of the 2026 prize

Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel win Nobel Prize for "discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics" - a breakthrough that enables mapping of the brain in a way that we could once only dream of. 🧪⚛️ physicsworld.com/a/inventors-...

bit.lyOptical digital twins for disease prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and interventionSignificanceDigital twins are transitioning from conceptual models to operational frameworks that link measurement, prediction, and intervention in biomedicine. However, most biomedical digital twin e

Optical digital twins could bring personalized medicine into the digital age. 🧪🔬 Aydogan Ozcan, Melissa Skala, Brian Pogue, Jürgen Popp, Laura Marcu, and Colleen Clancy review five complementary implementations of the digital twin paradigm: https://bit.ly/3VtTgzP #SPIE_JBO

bit.lyAutofluorescence lifetime imaging resolves cell heterogeneity within peripheral blood mononuclear cellsSignificanceStandard methods to characterize peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are often destructive, lack metabolic information, or do not provide single-cell resolution. Label-free tools th

Can cells in the same blood sample be distinguished without labels? A recent study uses #autofluorescence lifetime imaging to reveal differences among peripheral blood mononuclear cells, uncovering cellular heterogeneity through natural light signals: https://bit.ly/3TcQYED #BiophotonicsDiscovery 💡

Registration is open for #SPIEFST and #SPIE Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing! 💡 Share your developments in remote sensing technologies, Earth observing systems, and more. Register for one conference to get access to both, plus the co-located Photonics Innovation exhibition! https://bit.ly/4hXbD9A

Princeton Neuroscience Institute

The Ghana Photonics and Optics Laboratory, an SPIE-funded initiative, is now open! The lab provides new opportunities for hands-on optics and photonics education and research in West Africa.💡 Read more here: https://bit.ly/3Veygx5 Photo credit: Michael Kwame Dakwa, Team1000words Ltd.

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@princetonneuro.bsky.social

📢 We’re hiring! PNI is seeking a full-time Lecturer in Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in computational modeling and human cognitive neuroscience. Priority consideration: Nov. 30 Apply: apply.interfolio.com/193741 #NeuroSkyence #NeuroJobs

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Astrobites

@astrobites.bsky.social

From Natalie Price: Someone get the broom, there’s a supernova spreading dust everywhere. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/09/29/2010jl-sets-dust-record/

astrobites.orgWho Got UGC 5189A All Dusty?Someone get the broom, there's a supernova spreading dust everywhere.

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physicsworld.comExciton wavefunctions come into view – Physics WorldNew work could lead to improvements in organic photovoltaics

Physicists have experimentally reconstructed the quantum probability distribution of an exciton for the first time using super-fast time-resolved photoemission orbital tomography. 🧪⚛️ physicsworld.com/a/exciton-wa...

bit.lySingle-fiber co-registered Raman-OCT technique with deep learning enhances in vivo oral tissue assessmentConventional oral cancer diagnosis relies on white light imaging and tissue biopsy that fail to capture critical microstructural and biomolecular information, thereby limiting early detection of preca

A single optical fiber 🤝 two powerful views of tissue New research combines Raman spectroscopy + OCT w/ deep learning to co-register chemical and structural information, aiming for richer, more accurate biomedical imaging. Learn more! Open access in #BiophotonicsDiscovery: https://bit.ly/4roMU0o 💡

A new “smart skin” architecture aims to tackle multi-task invisibility through parallel processing! By coordinating multiple functions at once, this approach could expand how adaptive photonic materials control + conceal signals. www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/adv... #AdvancedPhotonics 💡

🔬 Join the next #SPIE_JBO Hot Topics Webinar on Fluorescence Imaging Standardization. 📅 26 Oct 2026 | ⏰ 9:00 AM PST Learn about current efforts to improve reproducibility, validation, and clinical translation in fluorescence imaging. Registration is free: https://bit.ly/4dIRalO.

optics.orgSingular launches programmable single-photon sensor | optics.org‘World-first’ SPAD to feature at forthcoming SPIE and VISION industry events.

Singular Photonics has created "Litavis," which combines high-sensitivity light detection with on-chip logic processing to unify imaging, timing, histogramming, and photon statistics. 💡 https://bit.ly/4xyGtJV

bit.lyRaman spectroscopy for nondestructive detection of vaginal tissue alterations in the fibulin-5 murine model of pelvic organ prolapseSignificancePelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a gynecologic condition where one or more pelvic organs herniate into the vaginal canal that is characterized by suboptimal treatment options, a poorly under

💡 Can light reveal tissue changes without a biopsy? This study explores Raman spectroscopy as a nondestructive way to detect vaginal tissue alterations, highlighting the potential of optical tools for faster, less invasive tissue assessment. https://bit.ly/4hFUcJW #BiophotonicsDiscovery 🧪

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physicsworld.comHow the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will turn the sky into a dataset – Physics WorldRichard de Grijs looks at how the Roman Space Telescope will change astronomy forever

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will give astronomers a facility combining a Hubble-like sharpness with a panoramic view of the infrared sky. But as Richard de Grijs explains, the telescope will also transform the practice of astronomy itself. 🧪⚛️ physicsworld.com/a/how-the-na...

The BOAT 😎🐐🔥 #DidYouKnow: GRB 221009A was so bright that astronomers nicknamed it the “brightest of all time." 🔭☄️ Explore what scientists have learned from the BOAT, one of the most powerful cosmic explosions ever observed, in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4r5kSqS

It's finally here! Order or download your free copy of the 2027 SPIE #WomenInOptics Notebook today. 😄📒 Be sure to read all the incredible #WomenInSTEM profiles while you're visiting our website. https://bit.ly/46EWDX3 🧪⚛️💡

spie.org$3,500 SPIE Optics & Photonics Scholarship recipient is living his childhood dreamPhD Student Aaron Liberman believes studying optics and photonics can change the world

“This is the closest I get to come to living out my childhood ‘Star Wars’ fantasies.” Aaron Liberman, a PhD student and #SPIE #Optics and #Photonics Scholarship recipient, used his award to support a tech upgrade that allows for faster computational simulations. 💡 https://bit.ly/4gA32aJ

optics.orgEPFL enhances super-resolution imaging from single camera exposures | optics.orgPolarization-based fluorescence method suits the capture of live cell dynamics.

EPFL's recent project addresses the persistent blur in images of unfixed cells by creating spatial polarization-induced fluorescence fluctuation imaging (SPIFFI, for short!). 💡 Next steps include making the imaging setup more compact + integrating it w/ 3D imaging tech. https://bit.ly/4yH2Hdp

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ow.lyProton–oxygen collisions put cosmic-ray models to the test – Physics WorldCERN’s ATLAS experiment probes the extreme universe

Physicists at CERN have recreated the collisions that trigger cosmic-ray air showers in Earth’s atmosphere 🧪⚛️ ow.ly/wlHK50ZPxcu

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Christopher Berry

@cplberry.bsky.social

🔭 Anyone interested in applying for a RAS Fellowship or 1851 Fellowship at @uofgravity.bsky.social, please get in touch! We have a great gravitational-wave group ⚛️ These fellowships are great for those coming straight from a PhD. We have internal deadlines, so we need to know who's interested soon

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Science X / Phys.org

@sciencex.bsky.social

phys.orgStudent-led missions deploy free-flying light sails from CubeSats in low Earth orbitStudents in Cornell's Space Systems Design Studio (SSDS) have released mission results for two unique light-sail experiments.

A palm-size ChipSat sent complete data packets from orbit to the ground after deploying from a light sail—the first spacecraft this small to do so. Atmospheric drag ended the flight.

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physicsworld.comMetasurface optical device boosts nonlinear frequency conversion – Physics WorldNanostructured device efficiently transforms light into different frequencies – including those at technologically important near-infrared wavelengths

17 Sept

By combining a multi-quantum-well heterostructure with a metasurface, physicists have created a device that can efficiently transform light into different frequencies – including those at technologically important near-infrared wavelengths. 🧪⚛️ physicsworld.com/a/metasurfac...

Submit your research to #SPIEsmart! 📝 Explore topics including soft #robotics, wearable #biosensors, digital twins, intelligent materials, and nondestructive evaluation. Abstracts are due by 30 September. 🚨 Browse the call for papers: https://bit.ly/3SQ4uxo

20 Sept

Photonic lanterns are giving astronomers a new way to work with starlight, helping correct wavefront distortions and make measurements beyond the diffraction limit. 💡 🔭 Could they one day help characterize Earth-like worlds? Explore the technology in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4j0KD9w