Richards Award to Chad Mirkin

Chad A. Mirkin, the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry and director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University, is the winner of the 2018 Theodore William Richards Medal Award in recognition of his “conspicuous achievements in chemistry.” The award is presented by the American Chemical Society Northeastern Section.

Mirkin is known for his discovery and development of spherical nucleic acids, which have applications including ­extracellular and intracellular molecular diagnostics, gene regulation, and immune modulation. He also pioneered the ­dip-pen nanolithography technique, which uses atomic force microscope tips to deposit nanoscale materials onto a substrate.