Analysis and Engineering of Living Systems

How do biomolecules assemble at the right place and time to drive life?  This central question underlies many unsolved problems in biological science and human health. To meet this challenge, our team develops innovative tools to probe, understand, and engineer living systems across scales, from biomolecules to cells.  By integrating synthetic chemistry, photochemistry, biomolecular engineering, and biophysics, we create novel probes, biosensors, and engineered biomolecular systems. These approaches enable next-generation imaging, and the interrogation and control of cellular functions, with applications to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.