The ASRC Nanoscience Initiative: Molecules. Materials. Impact.
The Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at CUNY is where New York City’s boldest ideas at the interface of chemistry, physics, materials, engineering and the life sciences converge under one roof. By uniting world-class researchers, state-of-the-art facilities, and a culture of collaboration, the ASRC is unique in the US and it is redefining how science drives discovery, innovation, and impact relevant to the most pressing societal challenges relating to human and planetary health.
Our vibrant community of over 90 researchers drives innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration, and connecting basic science with societal needs, including through entrepreneurship. In the past five years alone, our researchers have published over 100 papers, including in leading journals such as Science, Nature, Nature Materials, Nature Communications, JACS, Angewandte Chemie, Advanced Materials, Chem, and PNAS. Many of these publications stem from collaborations across CUNY, including with other ASRC initiatives.
The ASRC Nanoscience Initiative has become a world-wide recognized hub for bio-inspired materials, supramolecular chemistry, and nanoscience. Between 2020 and 2025, a total of 69 grants were awarded, with a combined value of $28M. Our culture remains inclusive, diverse, and collaborative, uniquely leveraging CUNY’s scale, its unparalleled position as a leader for upward mobility of our student population, and NYC’s innovation ecosystem to translate discovery into societal impact.
Over the past few years, our researchers developed a novel approach for designing water-responsive materials that change shape with humidity, offering new routes to clean-energy actuation. They created designer peptides that enhance drug efficacy and loading, and advanced nanoscience-based strategies to address Alzheimer’s disease and plastic pollution.We discovered simple peptides that mimic nature’s protein-protection mechanisms, potentially enabling refrigeration-free vaccine and therapeutic storage, and pioneered a broad-spectrum antiviral platform that targets conserved viral envelope glycans across multiple pathogens.
We offer exceptional opportunities for entrepreneurial students, with several alumni having started successful companies enabled through our CAT program and leveraging the opportunities that exist in our neighborhood including through Harlem Biospace, Gotham Foundry within West Harlem’s emerging Innovation Triangle.
The labs in the Nanoscience Initiative bring expertise in synthetic chemistry, supramolecular and systems chemistry, polymer materials, and mechanical/chemical engineering, all with a bio-inspired focus.
Braunschweig Lab (Chemistry, Hunter College)
Chen Lab (Chemical Engineering, City College of NY)
DelRe Lab (Chemistry, City College of NY)
Ulijn Lab (Chemistry, Hunter College)
Through Ph.D. programs in chemistry, biochemistry, or physics with research in nanoscience, and a strong focus on STEM leadership, The City University of New York (CUNY) is positioning its graduates to become part of this emergent field. Our expanding network of alumni are taking on leadership roles in industry, entrepreneurial ventures, academia, and government research.