Michael J. Sailor

Michael J. Sailor is a nanotechnology researcher and professor at the University of California, San Diego.^[1] Sailor is best known for his research on porous silicon, a nanostructured material that is prepared by electrochemical corrosion of crystalline silicon wafers.^[2]

He pioneered the development of label-free biosensors from thin optical films of porous silicon.^[3] He prepared the first microparticles and nanoparticles of porous silicon,^[4] and harnessed the intrinsic photoluminescence of these formulations for in vitro and in vivo imaging applications.^[5] He was the first to demonstrate time-gated luminescence imaging with these nanoparticles,^[6] important because time-gating suppresses tissue autofluorescence that often compromises the fidelity of fluorescence images of biological tissues. He also adapted the concept of "Smart Dust" to the field of nanotechnology: the idea that microscopic particles can be manufactured with optical, chemical, and mechanical properties that can perform sensing, signaling, and motive functions.^{[7][8][9][10]}