Catherine J. Murphy

Catherine Murphy pioneered the use of inorganic nanocrystals as biological probes, and developed key methods for nanoparticle fabrication and functionalization now used commercially. Her highly cited work centers on the seed-mediated growth approach to the synthesis of nanorods of controllable aspect ratio. In beautiful experiments, Murphy demonstrated the first application of these materials as "nano strain gauges" to measure cell-induced deformation of soft matrices, photothermal destruction of pathogenic bacteria, a quantitative understanding of their apparent cytotoxicity, and results for nanomaterial exposure to a whole ecosystem. Her work brings cutting-edge materials chemistry to biological issues in an extraordinarily creative approach.