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The Advanced Electronics and Photonics Core has completed first-floor cleanroom renovations and is making strong progress on second-floor upgrades — bringing a broad range of new capabilities online.
The Clinical Research Services Core has expanded its resources with the addition of advanced MRI technology, opening new possibilities for human imaging research.
We also celebrate the dedication of the Desert Southwest Genomics Center, formerly the Genomics Core, and the launch of new long-read sequencing capabilities that significantly expand genomics services at ASU.
New cleanroom capabilities strengthen AEP research infrastructure
New packaging lab in first floor class 10,000 cleanroom.
The expanded facility now supports advanced chip packaging and finishing processes enabled through a technology transfer with Arizona-based Deca Technologies. These capabilities allow for smaller, more powerful and more complex electronic packages, including 3D chip stacking and the integration of multiple technologies into a single device.
This upgrade strengthens ASU’s leadership in next-generation semiconductor research by providing researchers and partners with access to packaging technologies used by industry — all within a single, integrated facility.
Second-floor cleanroom renovations continue to expand capabilities
Renovations are underway on 5,700 square feet of Class 100 cleanroom space on the second floor of MacroTechnology Works, representing a continued investment in the Advanced Electronics and Photonics Core.
The project is being completed in phases and has already supported the installation of several new tools that expand in-house processing and inspection capabilities.
The AEP Core recently brought its first copper plating tool online, successfully plating its first wafer in November. While process optimization is ongoing, the tool marks a meaningful advancement in material quality and strengthens in-house processing capacity.
All second-floor cleanroom renovations are expected to be completed by April 2026, further reinforcing MacroTechnology Works as a center for advanced semiconductor research and collaboration with industry.
New MRI expands human imaging research at ASU
The Clinical Research Services Core Facility has added a Siemens 3T Magnetom Prisma MRI system, representing a significant milestone as ASU’s first MRI dedicated to human subject research.
The new MRI system is moved into CRS facilities.
The system expands ASU’s imaging capabilities across neuroscience, cardiac and whole-body research. Designed to support participant comfort, it features a wide-bore configuration and enables high-resolution, rapid imaging.
The MRI system also supports advanced brain imaging methods, including functional MRI and techniques used to measure cerebral blood flow and metabolism. In addition, it is fully compatible with studies that integrate MRI with transcranial magnetic stimulation, allowing researchers to visualize and map brain activity in real time.
Together, these capabilities support new avenues of research in brain function, cognition and neuropsychiatric disorders, strengthening ASU’s capacity for human-centered, interdisciplinary research.
Desert Southwest Genomics Center dedicated at ASU
ASU officially dedicated the Desert Southwest Genomics Center (DSGC) — the newly renamed Genomics Core — during The Long-Read Frontier symposium on Friday, Jan. 23. The event marked a milestone in ASU’s expanding role in large-scale biodiversity and genomics research.
Hosted by the Earth BioGenome Project and DSGC, the symposium highlighted new long-read genome sequencing capabilities now available at ASU and their role in advancing ambitious efforts such as the Arizona Desert Ecosystems Genomics Project (AriDE), led by ASU Research Professor Harris Lewin.
These tools support a wide range of research, from understanding biodiversity and ecosystem resilience to exploring complex genome variation across species.
The event concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially dedicating the Desert Southwest Genomics Center. The new name reflects the expanded capabilities of the core and its growing importance as a regional hub for advanced genomics research.
Harris Lewin, Jason Steel and Lara Ferry pose with ceremonial scissors at the DSGC ribbon cutting.
The GE Lunar iDXA delivers highly detailed body composition data, allowing investigators and staff to precisely assess fat mass, lean mass and bone mass at both whole-body and regional levels. This level of detail supports performance optimization, training adaptation analysis, and evidence-based research outcomes.
A technician monitors a body scan on a computer while a patient lies in the GE Lunar iDXA.
ASU’s Star Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) is ready to take science beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Built at ASU and launching aboard SpaceX, SPARCS will study how stellar flares from nearby stars influence the habitability of surrounding planets
ASU Professor Evgenya Shkolnik, principal investigator for the SPARCS mission, inspects the instrument in a clean room.
The Instrument Design and Fabrication Core was proud to support this mission by fabricating key telescope components in our machine shop — demonstrating how hands-on expertise helps turn ambitious research ideas into flight-ready hardware.
