Markita del Carpio Landry

Landry's parents were both teachers, and she has said that her early training was in curiosity-based science.[1] Landry earned her bachelor's degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in chemistry and physics.[2] She moved to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for doctoral studies and specialized in chemical physics. Her research considered the development of single-molecule spectroscopies for investigating biological systems. Landry was a National Science Foundation postdoctoral scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She worked at both the Technical University of Munich and Osaka University.[2]

Landry was appointed to the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, where she started to explore nanotechnology-based approaches to detect neuromodulation in the brain. To achieve this, she makes use of synthetic nanoparticle-polymer conjugates.[3] Such materials are incredibly versatile, with tunable chemical and physical properties. They can be processed using low cost fabrication techniques, permitting the creation of biomimetic structures. She uses functionalism carbon nanotubes to detect the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine with high spatial and temporal resolution.[4] She simultaneously develops near-infrared fluorescent probes to explore fundamental biological processes.[5]

Landry has demonstrated that carbon nanotubes can be used to direct DNA into plant cells.[4][6] Delivering DNA to plants is complicated due to the rigid, multi-layer cell walls that evade conventional approaches (e.g. CRISPR gene editing).[4] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Landry started to explore nanosenors for detecting the spike proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).[7]

• 2017 Frontiers of Engineering Symposium[8][9]
• 2018 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry World Leading Chemist[10]
• 2018 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellowship[11]
• 2018 Sloan Research Fellowship[12]
• 2018 Burroughs Wellcome Fund[1]
• 2019 Frontiers of Science Alumni[13]
• 2019 Chemical & Engineering News Talented 12[4]
• 2019 DARPA Young Investigator Award[14]
• 2020 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Young Alumni Award[7]
• 2020 Emerging Leader in Molecular Spectroscopy Award[15]
• 2021 Nature Estée Lauder Research Awards for Inspiring Women in Science[16]
• 2021 National Science Foundation CAREER Award[17]
• 2022 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science[18][19]

• Juan Pablo Giraldo; Markita P. Landry; Sean M Faltermeier; et al. (16 March 2014). "Plant nanobionics approach to augment photosynthesis and biochemical sensing". Nature Materials. 13 (4): 400–408. doi:10.1038/NMAT3890. ISSN 1476-1122. PMID 24633343. Wikidata Q46918594. (erratum)
• Sebastian Kruss; Markita P. Landry; Emma Vander Ende; et al. (3 January 2014). "Neurotransmitter detection using corona phase molecular recognition on fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotube sensors". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 136 (2): 713–724. doi:10.1021/JA410433B. ISSN 0002-7863. PMID 24354436. Wikidata Q46957506.
• Jingqing Zhang; Markita P. Landry; Paul W Barone; et al. (24 November 2013). "Molecular recognition using corona phase complexes made of synthetic polymers adsorbed on carbon nanotubes". Nature Nanotechnology. 8 (12): 959–968. doi:10.1038/NNANO.2013.236. ISSN 1748-3387. PMC 5051352. PMID 24270641. Wikidata Q28822496.