Bo Huang, PhD

What I do

I am interested in understanding how macromolecular interactions sets up subcellular compartments that control signaling and nuclear domains that regulate gene function. For this goal, I am developing new fluorescence microscopy techniques and engineering new protein and cellular tools, so that the spatial organization and temporal dynamics of small subcellular structures can be visualized directly.

Departmental research area

My research expertise

Protein and cell engineering, fluorescence microscopy

Professional background

Biography

Cellular processes are carried out by coordinated participation of many biomolecules in a tiny volume. Many people have been dreaming to see clear pictures of these processes in order to understand how these molecules work together. Taking on this challenge, we are developing new visualization techniques and imaging probes by combining super-resolution microscopy, protein engineering and microfluidic automation. We are particularly interested in the following problems:

(1) Physical organization and dynamics of the genome,
(2) Architecture of large protein complexes such as the centrosome, and
(3) Spatial distribution of membrane proteins, particularly G-protein coupled receptors and neuron adhesion molecules, and how this distribution defines their signaling specificity.

In order to study these systems, we are developing the following microscopy technologies:

(1) Super-resolution and light-sheet microscopes that can visualize subcellular structures at a higher spatial resolution, record long term cell behavior, and track cells in intact animals, and
(2) New fluorescent probes based on fluorescent proteins, nanobodies and aptamers so that biological questions can be converted into "imageable" ones.

Research keywords

  • Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
  • Optics and Photonics
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Lighting
  • CRISPR-Associated Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Fluorescence Microscopy
  • Molecular Imaging
  • Dimethylpolysiloxanes
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • microscopy
  • Silicones
  • HEK293 Cells