Skip To Content

OSA Member Newsletter

August 2021 Issue
Image credit: Getty Images
Optics: Supporting Biotechnology and Health
Last year, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to biochemists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, for their development of CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing. The CRISPR system’s targeted “gene scissors” have revolutionized molecular biology, and raise prospects for paradigm-shifting treatments of genetic diseases. But CRISPR does have one disadvantage: it lacks an “on-off switch.” And that has scientists searching hard for practical ways to control this powerful gene-editing tool. Some researchers believe the best such CRISPR control knob might well be … light. The cover article of the September 2021 Optics & Photonics News, online now, looks at several optical methods for controlling CRISPR, and how they’re being refined to sharpen the gene-editing tool’s effectiveness in both laboratory and potential clinical use.

That’s far from the only place where optics is helping to move health technology forward. Another feature article in the same OPN issue, for example, looks at how optics and photonics are being leveraged in the ongoing search for better COVID-19 tests.
 
 
PhD-Level Transferable Skills That Stand Out During Economic Downturns (& How To Communicate Them Virtually)
The global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company recently released a report showing that there is a 20% deficit in the job market for job candidates who can do two things - research, and analysis. These two transferable skills are key skill that all PhDs have regardless of their background and makes them highly valuable job candidates, especially in times of uncertainty. In this webinar, we will detail the top 10 transferable skills that PhDs need to communicate on their resume and during their job search as a while, as well as the 3 categories of core competencies that PhDs must master and leverage in order to get hired in industry.
Learn More
 
 
Yes, It’s Virtual
The 2021 FiO + LS Conference will be presented in a virtual, web-conference format using a program schedule based on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC-04:00). Participants have the option of viewing sessions live or streaming recorded sessions on demand. Speakers can present live during a session or submit a pre-recorded video.
Learn More
Honoring the Optics Community
OSA Fellow Spotlight
2019 Fellow Jay W. Dawson says “You need to be fascinated by the field you choose to pursue.”
Read More
 
Explore the limits of your research in biophotonics — Thomas F. Deutsch Fellowship
This one-year multidisciplinary fellowship specifically fosters interactions between researchers from diverse fields of science and medicine and supports post-doctoral investigators pursuing training in either basic or clinical research. It is offered in partnership with the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Wellman Center for Photomedicine.
Learn More
 
Researchers Create Powerful Quantum Source with Meta-lens Array
Researchers for the first time have demonstrated a quantum light source based on a meta-lens array. The approach offers a promising platform for both high-dimensional photon entanglement and the coherent control of multiple photons, making it suitable for advancing quantum technologies for secure communication, computing, and other applications.
Learn More
 
Senior Member Insights: Francesca Bragheri
In this installment of Senior Member Insights, OPN talks with Francesca Bragheri, a researcher at the Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies of the Italian National Research Council in Milan. Bragheri received her Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering at the University of Pavia and carried out her research activity as a postdoc at the Quantum Electronics Lab, University of Pavia. As a member of the Virtual Institute for Nonlinear Optics, she spent some months in collaborations at the University of Insubria in Como and at Vilnius University in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Learn More
Community Matters
 
Your Vote, Your Voice
Your vote makes a difference. Don’t miss your chance to vote in the OSA Election, Elections close 17 September. Read more.
 
Connect With Talent Today!
As a niche online job board, WORKinOPTICS.com more efficiently connects employers, job seekers and consultants within the optics and photonics community Read more.
 
 
 
 
 
The Optical Society (OSA)
Global Headquarters
2010 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036 USA
+1 202.416.1907 • osa.org

This message has been sent to %%TO_EMAIL%%.
Unsubscribe from all OSA Emails
 

Image for keeping the session alive