Photo by Erika Kyte Walsh

Michael J. Sailor, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Mailing Address: Michael J. Sailor UCSD Chemistry and Biochemistry Pacific Hall, room 4140a 9500 Gilman Drive, m/c 0358 La Jolla, CA 92093-0358 Phone: (858) 534-8188 Fax:(858) 534-5383 Email Office: Pacific Hall, room 4140a

Appointments
Michael J. Sailor is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), with Affiliate appointments in the Department of Bioengineering and in the Department of Nanoengineering. He is on the executive steering committee of the Materials Science Ph. D. program and a member of the Moores Cancer Center at UCSD.

Biography
Professor Sailor received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA, 1983), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from Northwestern University (Chicago, 1988). His Ph.D. thesis work involved the synthesis of organometallic metal clusters, in the laboratory of professor Duward Shriver. He performed post-doctoral studies under Nathan S. Lewis at Stanford and at Caltech (1987-1990). He joined the faculty at the UCSD Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 1990, was promoted to Associate Professor in 1994, and to Full Professor in 1996.

Research Interests
Professor Sailor's research focuses on the synthesis and study of nanophase materials with unusual optical, magnetic, or electronic properties, with emphasis on silicon-based systems. Current projects are directed at problems in nanoparticle-based diagnosis and treatment of disease, remote sensing of toxins and pollutants, high-throughput screening of biomarkers, point detectors for chemical or biological warfare agents, and microfluidic technologies. Click (here) for descriptions of ongoing projects. He is the author of over 150 research publications, in subjects related to nanotechnology, materials chemistry, sensors, and electrochemistry. He has 28 patents or patents pending, 21 of which have been licensed to established or startup-stage companies. He has supervised over 120 undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral research students.

Accomplishments and Awards
Professor Sailor is widely regarded as one of the leading global authorities on porous silicon. He invented the porous silicon-based interferometric sensor, which is now sold commercially (Silicon Kinetics, inc.) and has spawned a major worldwide chemical and biological sensor research effort; he developed the multifunctional nanostructured photonic crystal particles now commonly referred to as “Smart Dust” and sold commercally under the tradename "TruTags"; he invented the RIFTS (Reflective Interferometric Fourier Transform Spectroscopy) techninque; and he invented the method to prepare nanoparticles of porous silicon, reporting the first in vivo application of these silicon-based quantum dots in a demonstration of their utility as tumor imaging agents. He has been involved as a scientific advisor or as a founder in the startup of Illumina, inc. (ILMN), Protein Discovery, inc., Spinnaker Biosciences, Vesta Nanotechnologies, and Common Sensor Technologies, inc. He has won two “Best of What’s New” awards from Popular Science magazine.

2011	"Best of Green: Science and Technology Award" from Treehugger
2008	J. Clarence Karcher Medal, University of Oklahoma
2007	"Proggy" Award
2006	"Bronze Phantom Award" recipient from the Boeing Company Phantom Works division
2004	Outstanding Faculty Mentor in the Sciences and Engineering, UC San Diego Faculty Mentor Program
2004	Lipscomb Lecturer, University of South Carolina
2003	63rd "Frontiers in Chemistry" Distinguished Lecturer, Case Western Reserve University
2003	National Inventors Hall of Fame "Collegiate Inventors Competition," Grand Prize, shared with graduate student Jamie R. Link
2002	Max T. Rogers Distinguished Lecturer, Michigan State University
2002	Popular Science Magazine “The Best of What’s New” general technology award winner
1999	Architecture® Magazine Annual Award for Architectural Research, shared with Professor Steve Lombardi
1995	University of California Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
1994-95	Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow
1994-95	Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar Award
1993-98	National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award
1993-94	Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Young Investigator Award
1983	ARCO Fellow, Northwestern University

Service and Activities