William Esco Moerner

W. E. Moerner is the Harry S. Mosher Professor of Chemistry and Professor by courtesy of Applied Physics at Stanford University. He has been a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry since 1997 and served as Department Chair from 2011 to 2014. Previously, he was a Distinguished Professor of Physical Chemistry at UC San Diego (1995-1997) and worked at IBM Research Division (1982-1995).

Dr. Moerner received his educational training at Washington University (B.S. in Physics and Electrical Engineering, A.B. in Mathematics, all 1975) and Cornell University (M.S. 1978, Ph.D. 1982 in Physics). His academic journey has established him as a pioneer in single-molecule spectroscopy and super-resolution microscopy.

Moerner's research focuses on pushing the boundaries of optical imaging beyond the diffraction limit. His laboratory develops and applies advanced microscopy techniques to study biological processes at the single-molecule level. Current research thrusts include super-resolution imaging using PALM/STORM and STED approaches, single-molecule tracking in complex cellular environments, precise 3D optical microscopy methods, and trapping of single photosynthetic biomolecules in solution. His work has applications in studying protein structures in bacteria, chromatin organization, regulatory proteins in primary cilia, and viral RNA imaging.

Dr. Moerner's publications demonstrate a consistent trend toward increasingly sophisticated imaging techniques that reveal biological structures at the nanoscale. His work has evolved from foundational single-molecule detection to complex 3D super-resolution imaging applications in living cells, with particular emphasis on developing methods that overcome traditional optical limitations.

• Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2014) for development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy
• Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2008)
• Irving Langmuir Prize in Chemical Physics (2009)
• Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry (2013)
• Member of the National Academy of Sciences
• Fellow of multiple scientific societies including American Physical Society and American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Professor Moerner has mentored numerous students who have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry. His laboratory has received substantial research funding that has supported the development of innovative imaging technologies. The Moerner Lab maintains active collaborations with researchers across Stanford and internationally, particularly in the fields of structural biology and cellular imaging. The lab is known for its interdisciplinary approach, bringing together physics, chemistry, engineering, and biology to solve challenging problems in molecular imaging.

The Moerner Laboratory, often referred to as the 'WEMPire,' is located in the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University. The lab has developed several innovative microscopy techniques including the ABEL trap for single-molecule analysis and TILT-3D for precise 3D imaging. The group maintains a strong collaborative culture and has produced numerous technological advances that have been adopted by researchers worldwide. Current research directions include further refinement of super-resolution techniques, application to viral infection studies, and development of new methods for studying protein dynamics in living cells.