Our Research
Our ultimate goal is to develop novel scalable technologies that will offer a new paradigm for probing both functional and structural properties of biological systems to enable a better understanding of the casual correlations between activity and structure in defined cellular ensembles. Engineering the genetically encoded molecular tools for optical recording and manipulation of physiological activity, as well as fluorescent probes for biomolecular mapping and anatomical tracing of cell and cellular components is an interdisciplinary research program, which will span synthetic and chemical biology, bioengineering, biochemistry, molecular in vivo imaging, robotics, and cell biology.
Optogenetic indicators for cell biology and neuroscience
Our lab is developing novel fully-genetically encoded indicators that will enable highly multiplexed functional imaging of various cellular processes with high spatiotemporal resolution in complex biological systems. We are particularly focused on the design of a set of new fluorescent sensors that will report various cellular activities and parameters that have not been accessible by fluorescence imaging in vivo before.
Optogenetic actuators for cell biology and neuroscience
Our lab is developing advanced optogenetic tools that enable new modalities of physiological activity control with light. Spectrally diverse optogenetic tools will enable multiplex control of the major fundamental cellular parameters, such as membrane potential, redox potential, signaling pathways, gene expression, etc. Developed optogenetic tools will be used in conjunction with complementary optogenetic indicators to enable all-optical readout and manipulation of activity with high spatiotemporal resolution precision.
Tools for mapping nanoscale structure of biological systems
Our lab is developing a new suite of fluorescent tags and labels, which are compatible with Expansion Microscopy workflow to enable highly multiplex nanoscale imaging over large biological samples using conventional microscopy. Developed tools will be used as biomolecular and anatomical tracers to enable scalable mapping of complex biological systems.