Chemists at Emory University invented a reaction to streamline the total synthesis of a compound, phaeocaulisin A, extracted from a plant used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. In laboratory dish experiments conducted with biologists at Winship Cancer Institute  of Emory University, the researchers showed the compound’s efficacy against HER2-positive breast cancer cells and triple-negative breast cancer cells. An analogue of the compound the chemists constructed boosted this efficacy. 

Photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers or PCSELs are laser diodes that generate laser beams through controlled light wave interaction within a photonic crystal structure. In a recent study, researchers developed a method to study the two-dimensional interaction of light waves in PCSELs and measure their efficiency. The findings suggest that triangular-lattice PCSELs may be more efficient at converting electricity into laser light compared to square-lattice PCSELs, providing mathematical modelling tools for designing efficient laser diodes.