Dongkuan (DK) Xu, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at NC University, has received a 2026 NC State College of Engineering Dean’s Applied AI Research Accelerator Award. This award supports interdisciplinary teams pursuing new directions in applied artificial intelligence.

The project, “Transforming Nanoscale Sensing with Scalable Agentic AI and Multi-Functional Microscopy,” brings together collaborators from computer science, textile engineering and molecular biomedical sciences to advance AI-enabled scientific discovery.

Xu is leading the project in collaboration with Yang Zhang, assistant professor in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science, and Caroline Laplante, associate professor in the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences.

The research team aims to develop a scalable agentic AI infrastructure for single-molecule microscopy – transforming complex nanoscale imaging into a more intelligent and automated discovery platform. The project’s overall goal is to improve the analysis of large-scale microscopy data and accelerate discovery in biomedicine and related scientific fields by combining:

• multi-agent coordination
• uncertainty-aware deep learning
• explainable analytics
• natural-language interaction

“For me, this project reflects a broader research vision: building core AI methods that are not only powerful but also efficient, reliable and usable in real-world scientific settings,” said Xu.

Xu’s work focuses on deep learning, language models and computer vision, with a particular emphasis on agentic AI systems that can reason, learn and adapt in dynamic environments. Rather than treating AI as a narrow add-on to domain problems, he works to develop foundational methods that can support trustworthy and scalable intelligence across disciplines. Below are several projects that illustrate Xu’s focus on advancing core AI innovation while building collaborative, cross-disciplinary systems for scientific discovery, education and human-centered computing:

• OceanAI, a platform designed to make complex oceanographic data analysis more accessible through natural-language interaction and AI-assisted scientific workflows.
• MerryQuery, an AI-powered educational assistant that helps students engage with course materials through guided dialogue, retrieval-augmented generation and source-grounded responses. The platform also received the AAAI 2025 Best Demonstration Award.
• ArtAlgo, a creative computing project that explores how youth learn computational thinking through art-making, algorithmic play and human-centered AI support.

As NC State continues to expand applied AI research across engineering and computer science, Xu’s award-winning project highlights how foundational AI advances can open new opportunities for scientific discovery while creating bridges across departments, domains and research communities.