Introducing Our Authors pubs.acs.org/acssensors
■
■
MARKITA P. LANDRY
JUNCHEN WU
Image courtesy of Markita P. Landry
Image courtesy of Junchen Wu
Current Position. Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley; and Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator, San Francisco, CA. Education. B.S. in Chemistry and B.A. in Physics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2006); Ph.D. in Chemical Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign (2012); and Postdoctoral research in Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2013−2016). Nonscientific Interests. Hiking, traveling, Argentine tango dance. Our research lies at the intersection of single-molecule biophysics and nanomaterial-polymer science, to develop new tools to probe and characterize complex biological systems. In particular, near-infrared emitters (fluorophores, zerodimensional, and one-dimensional nanomaterials) provide emission wavelengths that are maximally permeable to biological materials. As such, we explore the potential of near-infrared light emitters to detect molecular processes in systems that are optically and physically dense. We develop these tools for single-molecule applications, with the goal of scaling them to the study of molecular processes in wholeorganisms. We further explore nanoscale materials as scaffolds for the delivery of biological molecules into tissues, cells, and subcellular organelles. To these ends, we build and develop optical microscopy tools, functionalize and characterize nanomaterials, and combine these areas for in vitro and in vivo molecular detection. (Read Landry’s article; DOI: 10.1021/ acssensors.7b00171.) © 2017 American Chemical Society
Current Position. Assistant Professor, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China. Education. Ph.D., Fudan University, Shanghai, China (2009); Postdoctoral research, University of Duisburg-Essen with the support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany (2011); and Visiting Postdoctoral Scholar, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA (2016). Nonscientific Interests. Playing table tennis, running, reading, and traveling. My research focuses on developing peptide-based biosensors to detect biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cancer. Environmentally sensitive fluorophores and near-infrared dyes have been widely used as signal markers to conjugate to peptides to construct peptide-based molecular sensors. We also explore peptide-based antitumor drugs, including natural toxins (cytolytic peptides), drug−peptide conjugates, inhibitors of protein−protein interactions, and peptide-regulated selfassembly for drug delivery. (Read Wu’s article; DOI: 10.1021/ acssensors.7b00171.) Received: August 2, 2017 Published: August 25, 2017 1070
DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.7b00533 ACS Sens. 2017, 2, 1070−1071
ACS Sensors
■
Introducing Our Authors
CIRO CHIAPPINI
responsible for specific PTM are tightly regulated. My doctoral training in Professor Irudayaraj’s lab focused on developing biosensors to detect real-time PTM events. We designed and constructed peptide biosensors to target specific proteins responsible for PTM, such as kinase for phosphorylation and acetyltransferase for acetylation. Using these peptide biosensors, we visualize, monitor, and quantify protein activity inside live cells, utilizing Time-correlated Single Photon Counting Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Technology (TCSPC-FLIM). Our sensor system enables live cell detection and quantification of PTM events without the need of genetic expression systems, and can be applied in 2D and 3D culture systems and in vivo zebrafish models. We expect that our technology can complement end-point ensemble techniques of PTM detection, as well as circumvent the drawbacks of genetic expression system applications in primary cells and patient-derived cells. Ultimately, we hope that our biosensors provide facile and robust detection systems for real time PTM events, which will benefit many fields, including drug discovery, oncology, molecular biology, and toxicology. (Read Damayanti’s article; DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.7b00359.)
Image courtesy of Ciro Chiappini
Current Position. Lecturer in Nanomaterials and Biointerfaces, King’s College London, UK. Education. M.Sc. in Solid State Physics, University of Milan, Italy; and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin. Nonscientific Interests. Web Editing: one-time webmaster of leading Italian Web site about The Simpsons, photography, sailing, and traveling. My lab combines nanotechnology, bioengineering, and cell biology to develop new nanomaterials with functional biointerfaces that can control the behavior of cells. Our materials interact with the intracellular space, sensing and manipulating biological processes at the molecular level. We use this control over cells in order to develop new platforms for precision medicine and tissue engineering. (Read Chiappini’s review; DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.7b00350.)
■
■
ANTONIN PRÉVOTEAU
NUR DAMAYANTI Image courtesy of Antonin Prévoteau
Current Position. Postdoctoral researcher in (bio)electrochemistry, Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Belgium (advisor: Prof. Korneel Rabaey). Education. M.S. in Electrochemistry, Grenoble Alps University, and M.S. in Materials Science, Grenoble Institute of Technology, France, (2007); and Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, University of Bordeaux, France (2011). Nonscientific Interests. Dolphins, Chardonnay, and escargots. In 2014, Antonin cooked an excellent couscous. My primary interests are enzyme and microbial electrochemistry. I recently focused my research on electroactive bacteria (i.e. able to exchange electrons with an inert electrode without needing an exogenous redox mediator). I can also find entertainment with other chemical processes involving electron exchange, such as corrosion or electrochemical engineering. (Read Prévoteau’s perspective; DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.7b00418.)
Image courtesy of Carol M. Weaver
Current Position. Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Roberto Pili, Molecular Medicine and Pharmacology, Indiana School of Medicine, IN. Education. B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering/minor in Bioengineering, Institute Teknology Bandung (ITB), Indonesia; M.Sc.Eng. in Chemical Engineering, NTUST, Taiwan; and Ph.D. in Biological Engineering, Purdue University. Nonscientific Interests. Reading, watching plays, drawing, and watching rain. Post-translational modification (PTM) holds central roles in regulation of myriad cellular processes. To maintain cellular physiology, the spatial and temporal activation of proteins 1071
DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.7b00533 ACS Sens. 2017, 2, 1070−1071
