Our lab develops new technologies to interrogate signaling cascades in cells to understand how the actions of specific proteins, RNA, molecules, and ions contribute to cellular function. We combine in vitro spectroscopic and biophysical techniques with protein and RNA engineering to develop novel fluorescent probes, and use long-term time-lapse fluorescence microscopy to elucidate the mechanisms of cellular signaling pathways. We are particularly interested in understanding the difference between healthy and diseased cells. Longitudinal single-cell analyses also allow us to explore the origins and consequences of heterogeneity in biological systems. We are specifically interested in how cells regulate metal ions, how we can develop tools to study carbon metabolism, and how we can build tools out of RNA and to study RNA function in cells.
keywords
live cell imaging, development of fluorescent sensors, development of imaging technology, imaging of cellular signaling, zinc, metals in biology, RNA, biosensors, zinc biology, metabolism, breast cancer
