Research in the Nie group is primarily in biomolecular engineering and nanotechnology, with a particular focus on the development of bioconjugated nanoparticles for imaging and therapeutic applications. We develop several classes of nanoparticles including semiconductor quantum dots, colloidal metal nanoparticles, magnetic iron oxide particles, and biodegradable or self-assembled nanocarriers. These nanoparticles are used for important medical applications such as in-vivo cancer imaging, multiplexed molecular profiling, correlation of biomolecular signatures (biomarkers) with clinical outcome, early cancer detection, and targeted drug delivery. In collaboration with physicians and surgeons, our work currently focuses on two major human diseases – malignant cancer and cardiovascular disease.