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David Walt, PhD, of the Department of Pathology, was awarded the $250,000 Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine from Northwestern University for his work developing ultrasensitive single-molecule array detection technology, which is impacting the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, infectious diseases and neurological disorders. This award recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of nanotechnology and its application to medicine and biology. It is the world’s largest monetary prize in this area of research.
Walt’s laboratory pioneered the use of microwell arrays, which has revolutionized the process of genetic and proteomic analysis — enabling the cost of DNA sequencing and genotyping to plummet nearly a millionfold in the past decade. This technology is incorporated into the gold standards for both sequencing and genotyping for a wide variety of applications, including screening embryos for genetic defects before in vitro fertilization, studying disease in preserved tissues, improving crop disease resistance, and identifying individuals’ metabolic profiles to ensure proper drug dosage. In addition, his laboratory introduced the idea of digital protein detections by developing a high-throughput technology for performing single molecule analysis. Walt also serves as the Hansjo¨rg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School and is a core faculty member at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University.
Established in 2015, this award is funded by Northwestern trustee and alumnus David G. Kabiller, MBA, co-founder of AQR Capital Management, who recognizes the potential of nanoscience to advance medicine.
