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Kanazawa University research: Frequency modulated AFM sheds light on how dipeptides help organize, immobilize and catalyze

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KANAZAWA, Japan, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, observe the configuration of different dipeptides on graphite electrodes and the subsequent arrangement of catalytic hemin on them to get an idea of the factors affecting its catalytic activity.

Self-assembled peptides have shown great promise for immobilizing and exploiting enzymes in catalytic applications. However, so far little has been known as to the structures of these self-assembled peptides and how this might affect the function of the enzyme immobilized. Now researchers led by Ayhan Yurtsever and Takeshi Fukuma at Kanazawa University, WPI-NanoLSI and Marie Sugiyama and Yuhei Hayamizu at Institute of Science Tokyo have compared the morphology and activity of hemin adsorbed on different dipeptide nanostructures using atomic force microscopy (AFM), cyclic voltammetry and H2O2 reduction reactions to see which offers the best performance and why (Figure 1).

The researchers used frequency modulated atomic force microscopy to study the structures that self-assembled from droplets of (XH)4 peptide solution on a graphite electrode, where H is histidine and X is an amino acid – either Y, L or V.  Their observations indicated that dipeptides self-assemble into repeating nanostructures resembling 2D crystals, with (YH)4 exhibiting the most ordered and stable configuration (Figure 2).

They then replaced the droplet of peptide solution with a droplet of hemin solution and used AFM to observe the configuration of the hemin as it bound to the peptide structure. They found the hemin aggregated on the dipeptide structures, and further observations with high-speed AFM revealed that the hemin formed wires as well as aggregates, and that while the wires were stationary the aggregates seemed to hop along and between rows of the dipeptide (Figure 3).

The researchers used cyclic voltammetry to measure how densely hemin bound to the dipeptide structures and found that it bound most densely to (YH)4. They attribute this to the tyrosine in (YH)4, which interacts with porphyrin through π-π interactions. However, adding just porphyrin to the dipeptide bound hemin structures had little effect, from which they deduced that “the Fe atom in hemin is critical for its interaction with peptides, and that the binding is not solely driven by π−π stacking interactions,” as they report in ACS Nano. While the density of hemin binding to (LH)4 was close to that for (VH)4, they found it bound slightly more densely to (VH)4, which they attribute to the greater hydrophobicity.

On applying a reduction current to the electrodes, the iron in hemin is reduced to the ferrous (+2) oxidation state. It can then reduce H2O2, thereby recovering its ferric oxidation state. Comparisons of how quickly the hemin bound structures reduce H2O2 revealed that hemin bound to (YH)4 had the highest catalytic activity, although this is unlikely due to the greater density of hemin at this surface since the densities for all three dipeptides were all within the same order of magnitude. Instead, the researchers suggest the greater reducing power of hemin bound to (YH)4 is on account of the more stable scaffold offered by that dipeptide (Figure 4).

“This research highlights the potential of simple peptide designs to create artificial enzymes with robust and durable catalytic interfaces for electrochemical applications,” conclude the researchers in their report. “Furthermore, the peptides’ ability to self-assemble on two-dimensional materials makes them promising candidates for biosensing applications.” 
Glossary

Atomic force microscopy

This imaging technique uses a nanosized tip at the end of a cantilever that is scanned over a sample. It can be used to determine the topography of a sample surface from the change in the strength of forces between the tip and the sample with distance, and the resulting deflection of the cantilever. It was first developed in the 1980s but a number of modifications have augmented the functionality of the technique since. It is better suited to imaging biological samples than the scanning tunnelling microscope developed that had been developed because it does not require a conducting sample.

In the 2000s Toshio Ando at Kanazawa University was able to improve the scanning speed to such an extent that moving images could be captured. This allowed people to use the technique to visualize molecular processes for the first time.

Catalysts

Catalysts influence the rate of a reaction without actually being used up in the reaction themselves. They can speed up the rate of all kinds of reactions, including the redox chemistry in the reduction of H2O2, and are prized in industry for improving yield and the profitability of processes.

Redox chemistry describes a host of reactions that involve the gaining (reduction) and losing (oxidation) of electrons by ions in the reaction. It sometimes manifests as the gaining of hydrogen (reduction) or oxygen (oxidation). The generation of water and oxygen from H2O2 is an example of a redox reaction where H2O2 is reduced to H2O and O2.

Porphyrin

Porphyrin is an organic compound made up of a ring of four substituted “pyrrole” ring molecules strung together with methine bridges (=CH-). Pyrrole is a cyclic molecule with the formula C4H4NH but in porphyrin other groups may be substituted in. An important porphyrin for living organisms is heme, which carries oxygen in the blood. Chlorophyl is also a porphyrin derivative

Hemin

Hemin is an iron-containing porphyrin found in the blood. It is the catalytic centre for many different proteins including cytochromes, peroxidases, myoglobins and hemoglobin. The iron in hemin is ferric, that is, it is in the +3 oxidation state (Fe3+).

π−π interactions

In aromatic molecules atoms are bound in the ring by π bonds, a type of covalent bond that takes its name from the shape of the electron orbital which forms lobes on either side of the atoms. π−π stacking describes the non-covalent interactions when these rings stack on each other.

Reference

Marie Sugiyama, Ayhan Yurtsever, Nina Uenodan, Yuta Nabae, Takeshi Fukuma, and Yuhei Hayamizu Hierarchical Assembly of Hemin-Peptide Catalytic Systems on Graphite Surfaces ACS NANO 2025.

DOI： 10.1021/acsnano.4c15373

URL: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsnano.4c15373

Funding acknowledgements

Y.H. acknowledges support from the Precise Measurement Technology Promotion Foundation (PMTP-F), JSPS KAKENHI Grants 20H02564, 20H03593, 22H05408 and 24H01124, and JST CREST Grant Number JPMJCR24A4, Japan. T.F. acknowledges support from the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), MEXT, Japan, and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 21H05251.

Fig: https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/Eye-catching-image_ACS-Nano_2025.2.jpg

Caption  Peptide self-assembly and subsequent hemin adsorption on graphite substrate. (A) High-resolution AFM image showing the molecular arrangement of (YH)4 peptides, forming 2D crystalline lattices on graphite in water. (B) Initial stage of hemin binding on self-assembled (YH)4 peptide nanostructures, revealing the formation of relatively unstable molecular rows along peptide lattices. (C) At later stages of adsorption, the hemin molecules form more stable and densely packed rows that ultimately cover the underlying peptide lattices completely.

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-1_ACS-Nano_2025.2.jpg
Fig. 1 A schematic illustration depicting the catalytic reaction mechanism of the system.

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-2_ACS-Nano_2025.2.jpg
Fig. 2: In situ FM-AFM images showing the unit cells of each peptide assemblies on graphite.

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-3_ACS-Nano_2025.2.jpg
Fig 3: In situ AFM image showing the immobilization of hemin on self-assembled (YH)4 peptides, revealing the formation of hemin molecular rows along peptide lattices.

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-4_ACS-Nano_2025.2.jpg
Fig. 4: Current density at −0.8 V as a function of H2O2 concentration for each peptide, with fitting curves shown as red solid lines. Imax represent the maximal current density.

Copyright for all figures ©2025 American Chemical Society

Contact

Kimie Nishimura (Ms)
Project Planning and Outreach, NanoLSI Administration Office
Nano Life Science Institute, Kanazawa University
Email: nanolsi-office@adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp 

Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan 

About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University

Understanding nanoscale mechanisms of life phenomena by exploring “uncharted nano-realms”.

Cells are the basic units of almost all life forms. We are developing nanoprobe technologies that allow direct imaging, analysis, and manipulation of the behavior and dynamics of important macromolecules in living organisms, such as proteins and nucleic acids, at the surface and interior of cells. We aim at acquiring a fundamental understanding of the various life phenomena at the nanoscale.

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/

About the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)

The WPI program was launched in 2007 by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to foster globally visible research centers boasting the highest standards and outstanding research environments. Numbering more than a dozen and operating at institutions throughout the country, these centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to engage in innovative modes of management and research. The program is administered by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

See the latest research news from the centers at the WPI News Portal: 
https://www.eurekalert.org/newsportal/WPI

Main WPI program site: www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-toplevel

About Kanazawa University

As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities.

The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa – a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas.
http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/

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Healthcare Data Center Market to Reach USD 37.11 Billion by 2035 as AI Genomics, EHR Resilience and Hosted Capacity Reshape Healthcare Infrastructure – DC Market Insights

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43 minutes ago

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October 23, 2026

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Market grows at a 9.15% CAGR from USD 15.46 billion in 2025; AI genomics and research computing expands 16.71% a year, while North America holds 46.0% of spending

LONDON, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The “Healthcare Data Center Market – Growth, Share, Opportunities & Competitive Analysis, 2026-2035” report has been added to the DC Market Insights offering. The global Healthcare Data Center Market was valued at USD 15.46 billion in 2025, is estimated at USD 17.34 billion in 2026, and is projected to reach USD 37.11 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 9.15% from 2025 to 2035. DC Market Insights finds that healthcare infrastructure is splitting between general-purpose EHR workloads that increasingly move to hosted environments and higher-value AI, imaging, research and resilience workloads that require dedicated or colocated capacity.

Healthcare Data Center Market at a Glance

Metric

Value (DC Market Insights estimate)

Market size, 2020

USD 9.77 billion

Market size, 2025 (base year)

USD 15.46 billion

Market size, 2026

USD 17.34 billion (+12.16% year on year)

Market size, 2030

USD 25.10 billion

Market size, 2035

USD 37.11 billion

CAGR 2025-2035

9.15% (low case 7.13%, high case 10.69%)

Largest component

IT hardware, 70.7% of 2025 value

Fastest-growing workload

AI genomics and research computing, 16.71% CAGR

Leading region

North America, 46.0% (USD 7.11 billion)

Fastest-growing region

Asia Pacific, 11.72% CAGR

Largest end user

Hospitals and health systems, 47.0% of 2025 value

Key Takeaways

IT hardware accounts for USD 10.93 billion, or 70.7% of 2025 market value, reflecting the high server, storage and accelerator content of clinical and research workloads.AI genomics and research computing is the fastest workload, rising 16.71% a year from USD 2.30 billion in 2025 to USD 10.78 billion by 2035.Hospitals and health systems remain the largest end user at USD 7.27 billion in 2025, while pharmaceutical and life sciences grows fastest among end users at 11.61% a year.On-premises owned sites hold 60.0% of 2025 value, but wholesale and build-to-suit grows 14.01% a year as research and AI clusters move into purpose-built capacity.North America leads with 46.0% of 2025 spending, while Asia Pacific grows fastest at 11.72%; India is the fastest-growing large country at 18.37% a year.

Scope & Segmentation – Healthcare Data Center Market

The report analyzes the market across the following segments:

Component: IT Hardware; Colocation and Hosting Services; Electrical and Mechanical Infrastructure; Construction and Fit-OutEnd User: Hospitals and Health Systems; Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences; Payers and Health Insurers; Health IT and Medtech Vendors; Public Health and Research InstitutesWorkload: EHR and Clinical Applications; Medical Imaging and PACS; AI Genomics and Research Computing; Claims and Revenue Cycle; Backup and Disaster Recovery; Collaboration and Other WorkloadsDeployment Model: On-Premises Owned Sites; Retail Colocation; Wholesale and Build-to-Suit; Vendor-Hosted Private CloudGeography: North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East and Africa, with 12 country forecasts

Report Updated: Oct. 22, 2026

Get Free Sample Report – Healthcare Data Center Market

“Healthcare data center demand is moving in two directions at once: hospitals are reducing general-purpose owned halls while AI, imaging, research and cyber-resilience requirements add denser, higher-value infrastructure. Our model shows AI genomics and research computing growing 16.71% a year and wholesale or build-to-suit capacity growing 14.01%, while the owned-site share falls from 60.0% in 2025 toward 45.0% by 2035. That makes compliant hosted capacity, AI-ready infrastructure and recoverability the strongest growth pools through the forecast period.”

— Amit Jain, Senior Consultant, ICT & Emerging Technologies, DC Market Insights, report author

Why This Report Matters
Healthcare data centers sit at the intersection of patient-data availability, clinical application performance, medical imaging, pharmaceutical research and cyber resilience. The report helps health systems, life sciences companies, colocation operators, cloud and hosting providers, equipment vendors and investors size infrastructure demand while separating public-cloud migrations that leave the market from leased and owned capacity that remains in scope.

Key Attributes

Report attribute

Details

Historical Period

2020-2024

Base Year

2025

Forecast Period

2026-2035

Market Size 2025

USD 15.46 billion

Market Size 2026

USD 17.34 billion

Market Size 2035

USD 37.11 billion

CAGR 2025-2035

9.15% (low 7.13%, high 10.69%)

Leading Region

North America, 46.0%

Report Format

PDF + Excel

How Big Is the Healthcare Data Center Market in 2026?
DC Market Insights values the Healthcare Data Center Market at USD 17.34 billion in 2026, 12.16% above 2025, as backup sites, AI clusters for drug discovery and leased halls for electronic health records are added faster than hospital server rooms close. The model places healthcare IT load at 3,300 MW in 2025 and projects it to double to 6,600 MW by 2035, with accelerator racks taking a larger share of the mix.

Year

Market size

2020

USD 9.77 billion

2025

USD 15.46 billion

2026

USD 17.34 billion (+12.16% year on year)

2030

USD 25.10 billion

2035

USD 37.11 billion

Source: DC Market Insights, Healthcare Data Center Market report, Oct. 22, 2026.

Why Do AI and Research Workloads Raise Healthcare Data Center Spend?
AI infrastructure changes the value of each megawatt. DC Market Insights estimates a conventional healthcare MW carries about USD 3.05 million a year of hardware, while an AI MW carries about USD 8.30 million. That premium comes from GPU systems, high-speed networking, large research datasets and the supporting power and cooling required for accelerated computing. The result is that market value grows faster than healthcare IT load as the accelerator share rises from about 5% in 2025 toward 22% by 2035.

Which Component Leads Healthcare Data Center Spending?
IT hardware remains the largest component, but colocation and hosting services grow faster as providers absorb EHR, imaging, backup and research workloads that institutions no longer want to operate in ageing hospital server rooms.

Component

2025 value

Share 2025

2035 value

CAGR

IT Hardware

USD 10,931.24M

70.7 %

USD 24,479.40M

8.40 %

Colocation and Hosting Services

USD 3,136.32M

20.3 %

USD 9,496.08M

11.72 %

Electrical and Mechanical Infrastructure

USD 967.87M

6.3 %

USD 2,058.14M

7.84 %

Construction and Fit-Out

USD 427.77M

2.8 %

USD 1,078.98M

9.69 %

DC Exclusive: Hospital Data Center Exit Tracker
DC Market Insights tracks 14 named healthcare infrastructure moves from 2014 through 2026. Ten moved workloads to public cloud, two went to colocation and two built new owned sites. The pattern explains why owned data centers can lose share even while the overall market expands: general-purpose EHR estates leave older halls, while AI and research clusters arrive as new owned, wholesale or colocated capacity. The model therefore takes the owned-site share from 60.0% in 2025 toward 45.0% by 2035.

Workload

2025 value

Share 2025

2035 value

CAGR

EHR and Clinical Applications

USD 4,638.95M

30.0 %

USD 8,907.02M

6.74 %

Medical Imaging and PACS

USD 2,783.38M

18.0 %

USD 6,309.14M

8.53 %

AI Genomics and Research Computing

USD 2,297.83M

14.9 %

USD 10,777.50M

16.71 %

Claims and Revenue Cycle

USD 2,010.22M

13.0 %

USD 4,082.39M

7.34 %

Backup and Disaster Recovery

USD 2,164.85M

14.0 %

USD 4,453.51M

7.48 %

Collaboration and Other Workloads

USD 1,567.97M

10.1 %

USD 2,583.04M

5.12 %

Which Region Leads the Healthcare Data Center Market?

North America leads because the United States combines a large installed hospital base, near-universal certified EHR adoption and significant pharmaceutical research infrastructure. Asia Pacific grows fastest as India, China and other markets add local capacity under health-data localization and digital-health programs.

Indicator

2025 / Base

Outlook

Leading region

North America, 46.0% (USD 7.11B)

USD 15.77B by 2035; remains the largest regional spending pool

Fastest-growing region

Asia Pacific, 11.72% CAGR

Reaches USD 9.83B by 2035 as India and China add domestic health-data capacity

Fastest large country

India, 18.37% CAGR

USD 247.41M in 2025 to USD 1.34B by 2035

Largest country

United States, USD 6.49B in 2025

Remains the largest national market through the forecast

How Could the 2035 Forecast Change?

The 2035 outcome depends on how quickly hospital EHR estates move to public cloud, how much pharmaceutical AI is purchased as cloud capacity rather than dedicated infrastructure, and how strongly resilience rules push institutions to maintain recoverable private or colocated capacity.

Scenario

Assumption

2035 value

CAGR 2025-2035

Low

Faster EHR migration to public cloud; more pharma AI bought as cloud capacity

USD 30.80B

7.13 %

Base

Healthcare IT load reaches 6,600 MW; 22% on AI racks; 55% leased

USD 37.11B

9.15 %

High

Stricter 72-hour restore requirements and more drug makers build owned AI factories

USD 42.68B

10.69 %

Competitive Landscape and Recent Developments
The five largest colocation providers account for about 31% of the USD 3.14 billion healthcare colocation and hosting market in 2025, leaving the sector fragmented. Competition spans colocation, EHR hosting, cloud services, AI hardware and the power and cooling systems required for hospital and life-sciences infrastructure.

Companies profiled include:

Equinix; Digital Realty; Iron Mountain Data Centers; CyrusOne; NTT DATA; Epic Systems (Epic Hosting); Oracle (Oracle Health); Microsoft (Nuance); Amazon Web Services; Google Cloud; Dell Technologies; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; NVIDIA; Cisco Systems; Schneider Electric; Vertiv.

In July 2026, WellSpan Health completed the move of more than 300 applications and 7.5 PB of data to AWS in 17 weeks.In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs requested USD 4.2 billion for its EHR in fiscal 2027, including USD 745 million for infrastructure readiness.In February 2026, Eli Lilly’s LillyPod AI factory with more than 9,000 petaflops went live in Indianapolis.In February 2026, five Ontario hospitals in Transform Shared Service Organization moved their EHR to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, cutting page-load time by 71%.In January 2026, NVIDIA and Eli Lilly agreed to invest up to USD 1 billion over five years in an AI co-innovation lab.In November 2025, India notified the DPDP Rules with an 18-month phased timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the size of the Healthcare Data Center Market?
USD 15.46 billion in 2025 and USD 17.34 billion in 2026, projected to reach USD 37.11 billion by 2035 at a 9.15% CAGR.

Which component leads the market?
IT hardware, with USD 10.93 billion or 70.7% of 2025 spending.

Which workload grows fastest?
AI genomics and research computing, at 16.71% a year through 2035.

Which healthcare end user spends the most?
Hospitals and health systems, with USD 7.27 billion or 47.0% of 2025 market value.

Which region leads?
North America with USD 7.11 billion or 46.0% of 2025 value; Asia Pacific grows fastest at 11.72% a year.

Who are the leading suppliers?
Equinix, Digital Realty, Iron Mountain Data Centers, CyrusOne and NTT DATA are among the leading colocation providers, alongside major healthcare hosting, cloud, hardware and infrastructure vendors.

Methodology

DC Market Insights builds the healthcare data center market bottom-up from 3,300 MW of healthcare IT load in 2025 and spending per MW for hardware, colocation and hosting, electrical and mechanical infrastructure, and construction and fit-out. The model separates conventional and AI MW, applies leased-capacity economics, and reconciles end-user, workload, deployment, regional and country splits to the total market before applying forecast assumptions.

Download Sample Report – Healthcare Data Center Market

Related Reports from DC Market Insights
Data Center Colocation Market
AI Data Center Market
Data Center Outsourcing Market
Multi-Tenant Data Center Market
Data Center Virtualization Market

DC Market Insights Data & Tools

Explore live datasets and decision tools used across DC Market Insights research:

Data Center Database
Data Center Map
Data Center Operators
Global Capacity Tracker
Deal Tracker
Power & Policy Tracker
PUE Calculator
Construction Pipeline
Deal Comps
Site Risk
Electricity Rates
Data Center Footprint

About DC Market Insights

DC Market Insights is a dedicated research and consulting firm that empowers data center leaders with actionable intelligence. We combine rigorous market research, advanced analytics and practical advisory support to help organizations make confident decisions in an increasingly complex digital infrastructure landscape. Our goal is to transform data into clarity, giving clients the ability to act decisively on strategy, investment and execution.

Contact Us
DC Market Insights
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Email: sales@dcmarketinsights.com
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Technology

City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago Unites Industry Leaders for Health Technology Innovation Roundtable

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43 minutes ago

on

October 23, 2026

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CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Faster access to care, more affordable treatment and policies that support innovation were central themes of a Health Technology Innovation Roundtable convened by City of Hope® Cancer Center Chicago on Thursday, October 15, at its hospital in Zion.

The discussion brought together Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) and leaders from City of Hope, Vantive and Zocdoc to examine how technology can help bend the health care cost curve, connect patients with care sooner and expand access to specialized treatment.

“Thank you to City of Hope in Zion for graciously hosting our recent roundtable to discuss how emerging health technologies are shaping patient care, access, and affordability,” said Schneider. “I am proud to represent a district where so many people work in the life sciences field to advance innovation. This convening was an important opportunity to hear directly from health technology innovators about the progress they are making to better connect patients with lifesaving care and how we can work together. I will continue to partner with City of Hope and the health technology experts throughout our district to ensure more people have access to the cutting-edge treatment and testing they deserve.”

The conversation spanned digital appointment scheduling, home dialysis, surgical robotics, artificial intelligence and remote monitoring. Zocdoc’s digital marketplace connects patients with available appointments, helping fill openings that might otherwise go unused. Vantive’s work in kidney care, including home dialysis, illustrated how technology can expand options for where and how patients receive treatment.  City of Hope’s experience with advanced surgery and wearable devices highlighted opportunities to bring specialized expertise closer to patients and support recovery at home.

“Technological advancements continue to evolve rapidly, and keeping up with them can feel like a job unto itself,” said Pete Govorchin, president of City of Hope Chicago. “Having an opportunity to pause and reflect on the progress we have seen thus far, as well as look ahead to what’s next alongside a distinguished panel of respected professionals, is critical.”

The discussion also addressed barriers that can keep innovation from reaching patients, including state licensing requirements, limited broadband, outdated regulations and reimbursement challenges. Access for rural communities and veterans was a recurring concern, alongside the need to measure how new technologies improve outcomes and reduce avoidable costs.

“As both a developer and adopter of advanced surgical technologies, City of Hope is well positioned to provide practical, evidence-based insights into how robotic surgery and other procedures, delivered remotely, could improve access, enhance quality, and support the future of patient-centered care,” said Dr. Yuman Fong, a City of Hope surgical oncologist.

Joining Schneider, Govorchin and Fong were Chris Toth, CEO of Vantive; Kyle Jackson, Vantive’s executive director of government affairs and market development; and Ilyssa Meyer, Zocdoc’s director of government affairs.

“I was proud to be part of an important convening of health technology experts discussing how we can continue to work together to connect more patients to care and innovative treatment. Rep. Schneider’s leadership on the bipartisan, bicameral Health ACCESS Act is an important next step in turning the innovations discussed at the recent roundtable into broader access to care,” added Meyer. “By reducing barriers to digital health services and online appointment scheduling, the bill can help connect more patients with the care they need.”

About City of Hope

City of Hope’s mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that is ranked among the nation’s top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report at its core, City of Hope’s uniquely integrated model spans cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and a broad philanthropy program that powers its work. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, Orange County, California, campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas. City of Hope’s affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHope™. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.  

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SOURCE City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago

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Kin Becomes First U.S. Home Insurer to Enable WebMCP for AI Shopping

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43 minutes ago

on

October 23, 2026

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Consumers can now use ChatGPT to efficiently shop Kin’s digital home insurance experience

CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Building on its recent announcement that AI shopping agents like Meta’s Muse are welcome to shop on Kin.com, Kin is making its digital home insurance experience even easier for AI to shop. Kin, the direct-to-consumer provider of insurance and home finance solutions for homeowners, today announced that it has enabled WebMCP in its digital quoting experience. The new capability gives ChatGPT a faster and more efficient way to interact with Kin.com on a consumer’s behalf.

Homeowners can go from their AI agent prompt to a customized Kin home insurance quote ready for purchase in minutes due to the data-informed Kin.com quoting process.

“We said that Kin will win the AI shopping experience, and we meant it,” said Kin Founder and CEO Sean Harper. “People are going to increasingly ask AI to do the tedious work of shopping for them. We want someone to be able to tell ChatGPT, ‘Help me shop for home insurance,’ and make it incredibly easy for that AI agent to shop Kin.”

Unlike plug-ins that require installation, WebMCP is an open web standard which lets AI agents work directly with Kin.com, creating a more efficient way to interact with Kin’s digital experience, and making it easier for them to help consumers shop for home insurance. For consumers, that means AI can do more of the repetitive work involved in insurance shopping, while Kin makes its experience easier for those AI agents to navigate. 

Built for the Way Consumers Will Shop

The launch builds on Kin’s announcement that it would welcome Meta’s Muse and other AI shopping agents to Kin.com rather than block them. In Kin’s testing, Muse was able to retrieve home insurance quotes after asking consumers only a handful of questions. Likewise, with ChatGPT, Kin testing found consumers could easily price out home insurance in a clear side-by-side view with minimal questions. The technology improves daily, and Kin is committed to implementing open standards like WebMCP, which ChatGPT supports for paid users on its browser-based platform. While free ChatGPT accounts cannot use this protocol, consumers can still easily get a quote at kin.com.

Kin was built to sell home insurance directly to consumers through a digital experience, without relying on external agents. It also analyzes thousands of data points about individual homes, meaning much of the information needed to generate a quote can already be gathered without asking the homeowner.

“We didn’t have to reinvent Kin for AI shopping,” Harper said. “We already built a direct digital experience, we already have the data to answer most of the questions about a home, and we don’t depend on someone in the middle to sell the product. AI shopping rewards a lot of the things we’ve been building for years.”

A New Way to Shop for Insurance

Kin expects AI agents to become increasingly capable of helping consumers gather information, understand coverage and shop across insurance providers. As those capabilities improve, Kin plans to continue making its digital experience easier for both people and the AI agents working on their behalf.

“Five years from now, opening a bunch of browser tabs and filling out the same information over and over is going to seem pretty antiquated,” Harper said. “You’ll tell your AI what you need and it will go do the work. We’ve built Kin to win in that world.”

About Kin
Kin helps homeowners save money, simplify tasks, and protect their most valuable assets. By offering direct-to-consumer digital home and auto insurance alongside home finance services, the company focuses on supporting underserved homeowners in states with high catastrophic risk. Kin provides more convenient and affordable home and auto insurance coverage by eliminating the need for external agents and analyzing thousands of data points to provide transparent, accurate pricing. Kin’s AI-native technology platform delivers a seamless customer experience, customized options, and fast, high-quality service. To learn more, visit www.kin.com.

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SOURCE Kin Insurance, Inc.

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