FAST nanotechnology unveiled at Rome Global Congress by AU scientist

The work is the culmination of decades of research for Stephen Hsu, PhD.

Jun 25, 2025

3 min

Stephen Hsu, PhD, a professor at the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, unveiled his groundbreaking nanotechnology, known as FAST, during a keynote address at the 8th World Congress on Infectious Diseases in Rome, Italy.


FAST, or Facilitated Self-Assembling Technology, offers a revolutionary way to convert compounds that are difficult to dissolve in water into stable nanoparticles. This innovation could transform drug development, viral infection prevention, hospital hygiene and more.


“FAST takes a completely different approach from traditional nanotechnology,” Hsu explained. “Unlike methods that rely on polymers, metals, surfactants, fat-based carriers or complex engineering processes, FAST allows compounds to self-assemble into nanoparticles with minimal effort. This makes drugs that were once nearly impossible to formulate in water stable, effective and practical for medical and consumer use.”


At the heart of this innovation is EC16, or EGCG-palmitate, a lipid-soluble compound derived from green tea. Known for its antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, green tea has long been studied but is challenging to use in clinical settings due to stability issues. FAST overcomes these limitations, transforming EC16 and other hydrophobic compounds into water-friendly nanoparticles.


“You can’t even tell the particles are there,” said Hsu. “They look just like water. I made several different formulations in one afternoon in my lab. It’s that fast and simple.”



A natural solution to global challenges


Hsu’s work is the culmination of decades of research and a deeply personal journey. He credits green tea with helping him survive illness during his youth in a labor camp in China. Now, he’s turning its natural properties into cutting-edge therapies with the hope of helping more people.


“I’ve been drinking green tea my entire life,” Hsu said. “Now, we’re turning its benefits into medical-grade treatments.”


Supported by over $600,000 in NIH grants, Hsu’s team is developing applications like alcohol-free disinfectants and nasal sprays to prevent respiratory virus infections. One promising product is an EC16-based disinfectant that is natural, non-toxic and highly effective against tough pathogens, like norovirus and C. difficile, a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea.


“That’s a big deal for schools, hospitals and places like cruise ships, where these infections spread easily,” he said.



Tackling long COVID and beyond


Among FAST’s most promising applications is a nasal spray developed to prevent or treat long COVID and other respiratory illnesses. The spray, currently undergoing preclinical testing, targets viral entry points in the nasal mucosa, where infections often begin.


“Our goal is to help immunocompromised patients and those with lingering symptoms like brain fog and loss of smell,” Hsu said. “We’ve already seen strong in vitro results against human coronavirus and norovirus.”


In addition to nasal and topical treatments, Hsu’s team has developed oral formulations of EC16 that remain stable through the stomach’s acidic environment, critical for treating gastrointestinal viruses and potentially inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s.


“We found that even without direct contact with the virus, the EC16 nanoparticles taken by mouth can reduce infection,” Hsu explained. “That’s a major step forward in treatment of digestive tract viral infections.”


A platform for the future of medicine



FAST isn’t limited to green tea compounds. Hsu’s method can transform a wide range of hydrophobic compounds like cannabidiol, ivermectin, quercetin, procyanidin and retinoic acid, as well as hundreds of existing drugs, into nanoparticle suspensions that are stable and water-friendly.




This has huge implications,” said Hsu. “Up to 90% of new drug candidates have poor water solubility and low bioavailability, which limits their effectiveness. With FAST, we can change that.”


His lab is already exploring applications in Alzheimer’s research, cancer therapy, oral health and even anti-biofilm coatings to prevent hospital infections. These products, along with the nasal spray, are expected to hit the market this fall.


Hsu is currently finalizing publications and preparing patent filings to protect and expand the reach of FAST. While optimistic, he remains cautious.


“The results so far are phenomenal. FAST could be a new chapter in how we fight disease and deliver medicine,” Hsu said.


Looking to know more about FAST nanotechnology and the research happening at Augusta University?



To connect with Dr. Stephen Hsu - simply contact AU's External Communications Team mediarelations@augusta.edu to arrange an interview today. 

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Augusta University

2 min

Expert Research: Cyber-Enabled Education Operations: Towards a Strategic Cybersecurity Curriculum for the Social Sciences

Recently, Craig Albert, PhD, was published in the Journal of Political Science Education. The article, 'Cyber-Enabled Education Operations: Towards a Strategic Cybersecurity Curriculum for the Social Sciences,' looks into how U.S. cyber intelligence training is overly technical and should integrate political science and social science courses to build strategic thinkers who understand adversaries’ motives and policies, ultimately strengthening U.S. national security. Craig Albert, PhD, is a professor of Political Science and the graduate director of the PhD in Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity Policy and the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. His areas of concentration include international security studies, cybersecurity policy, information warfare/influence operations/propaganda, ethnic conflict, cyberterrorism and cyberwar, and political philosophy. View his profile here. Here's the abstract from the paper in Research Gate: Most cyber intelligence analysts within the United States Intelligence Community (USIC) typically enter the field with strong technical expertise, often derived from degrees in computer science or extensive technical training. However, a critical gap exists in education and training on the strategic dimensions of cyber threats. This paper advocates for the integration of cybersecurity-focused courses within social science disciplines, particularly political science, to cultivate strategic thinkers who can contribute effectively to the USIC. The inclusion of strategic policy coursework in political science curricula, as well as more broadly across social science programs, would better prepare students for careers in the USIC by deepening their understanding of the motivations, capabilities, and intentions of the United States’ strategic adversaries in cyberspace—specifically Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Such training would equip analysts with critical insights to improve their effectiveness in identifying, attributing, and mitigating cyber intrusions. Moreover, a stronger emphasis on the human behavior and policy dimensions of cybersecurity would enhance the overall competency of the USIC workforce, thereby strengthening U.S. national security policy. Looking to know more? Let us help. Craig Albert, PhD, is available to speak with media. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

2 min

Expert Research: The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Artificial Intelligence and Domestic Conflict

Artificial Intelligence is often framed as a driver of innovation. But it also has the power to disrupt the very foundations of our societies. In a recent study, experts Craig Albert, PhD, and Lance Hunter, PhD, from Augusta University explored how AI, as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, could reshape economies, politics and security within states. Here are three key takeaways from the research: AI brings breakthroughs in health care, logistics and engineering, but also disrupts jobs and economies. Unmanaged disruption can fuel instability, widening inequality and increasing risks of unrest or domestic conflict. Governments must act now with retraining, adaptive policies and strong governance to harness AI’s benefits while reducing risks. Lance Hunter, PhD, is an assistant professor of political science with a background in international relations. His research focuses on how terrorist attacks influence politics in democratic countries and how political decisions within countries affect conflicts worldwide. Hunter teaches courses in international relations, security studies and research methods. He received his PhD in Political Science from Texas Tech University in 2011.   View his profile here. Craig Albert, PhD, is a professor of Political Science and the graduate director of the PhD in Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity Policy and the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. His areas of concentration include international security studies, cybersecurity policy, information warfare/influence operations/propaganda, ethnic conflict, cyberterrorism and cyberwar, and political philosophy. View his profile here. The question we face is not whether AI will transform society (it already is!) but how we will manage that transformation to strengthen rather than destabilize. What steps do you think policymakers should prioritize to prepare for this future? Here's the abstract from the paper in Research Gate: An emerging field of scholarship in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computing posits that AI has the potential to significantly alter political and economic landscapes within states by reconfiguring labor markets, economies and political alliances, leading to possible societal disruptions. Thus, this study examines the potential destabilizing economic and political effects AI technology can have on societies and the resulting implications for domestic conflict based on research within the fields of political science, sociology, economics and artificial intelligence. In addition, we conduct interviews with 10 international AI experts from think tanks, academia, multinational technology companies, the military and cyber to assess the possible disruptive effects of AI and how they can affect domestic conflict. Lastly, the study offers steps governments can take to mitigate the potentially destabilizing effects of AI technology to reduce the likelihood of civil conflict and domestic terrorism within states. Read the full report here: Looking to know more? Let us help. Both Albert and Hunter are available to speak with media. Simply click on either experts icon now to arrange an interview today.

2 min

Ask an Expert: Augusta University's Gokila Dorai, PhD, talks Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is dominating the news cycle. There's a lot to know, a lot to prepare for and also a lot of misinformation or assumptions that are making their way into the mainstream coverage. Recently, Augusta University's Gokila Dorai, PhD, took some time to answer some of the more important question's she's seeing being asked about Artificial Intelligence. Gokila Dorai, PhD, is an assistant professor in the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences at Augusta University. Dorai’s area of expertise is mobile/IoT forensics research. She is passionate about inventing digital tools to help victims and survivors of various digital crimes. View her profile here Q. What excites you most about your current research in digital forensics and AI? "I am most excited about using artificial intelligence to produce frameworks for practitioners make sense of complex digital evidence more quickly and fairly. My research combines machine learning with natural language processing incorporating a socio-technical framework, so that we don’t just get accurate results, but also understand how and why the system reached those results. This is especially important when dealing with sensitive investigations, where transparency builds trust." Q. How does your work help address today’s challenges around cybersecurity and data privacy? "Everyday life is increasingly digital, our phones, apps, and online accounts contain deeply personal information. My research looks at how we can responsibly analyze this data during investigations without compromising privacy. For example, I work on AI models that can focus only on what is legally relevant, while filtering out unrelated personal information. This balance between security and privacy is one of the biggest challenges today, and my work aims to provide practical solutions." Q. What role do you see artificial intelligence playing in shaping the future of digital investigations? "AI will be a critical partner in digital investigations. The volume of data investigators face is overwhelming, thousands of documents, chat messages, and app logs. AI can help organize and prioritize this information, spotting patterns that a human might miss. At the same time, I believe AI must be designed to be explainable and resilient against manipulation, so investigators and courts can trust its findings. The future isn’t about replacing human judgment, but about giving investigators smarter tools." Q. What is one misconception people often have about cybersecurity or digital forensics? "A common misconception is that digital forensics is like what you see on TV, instant results with a few keystrokes. In reality, it’s a painstaking process that requires both technical skill and ethical responsibility. Another misconception is that cybersecurity is only about protecting large organizations. In truth, individuals face just as many risks, from identity theft to app data leaks, and my research highlights how better tools can protect everyone." Are you a reporter covering Artificial intelligence and looking to know more?  If so, then let us help with your stories. Gokila Dorai, PhD, is available for interviews. Simply click on her icon now to arrange a time today.

View all posts