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SUMMARY:LMB Seminar: Talking to cells: biomolecular ultrasound for imaging
  and control of cellular function in intact organisms - Mikhail G. Shapiro
 \, Max Delbrück Professor\, Caltech
DTSTART:20230912T100000Z
DTEND:20230912T110000Z
UID:TALK194854@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Scientific Meetings Co-ordinator
DESCRIPTION:The study of biological function in intact organisms and the d
 evelopment of targeted cellular therapeutics necessitate methods to image 
 and control cellular function in vivo. Technologies such as fluorescent pr
 oteins and optogenetics serve this purpose in small\, translucent specimen
 s\, but are limited by the poor penetration of light into deeper tissues. 
 In contrast\, most non-invasive techniques such as ultrasound and magnetic
  resonance imaging – while based on energy forms that penetrate tissue e
 ffectively – are not effectively coupled to cellular function. Our work 
 attempts to bridge this gap by engineering biomolecules with the appropria
 te physical properties to interact with magnetic fields and sound waves. I
 n this talk\, I will describe our recent development of biomolecular repor
 ters and actuators for ultrasound. The reporters are based on gas vesicles
  – a unique class of gas-filled protein nanostructures from buoyant phot
 osynthetic microbes. These proteins produce nonlinear scattering of sound 
 waves\, enabling their detection with ultrasound. I will describe our rece
 nt progress in understanding the biophysical and acoustic properties of th
 ese biomolecules\, engineering their mechanics and targeting at the geneti
 c level\, developing methods to enhance their detection in vivo\, expressi
 ng them heterologously as reporter genes\, and turning them into dynamic s
 ensors of enzyme activity. In addition to their applications in imaging\, 
 gas vesicles can be used to control cellular location and function by serv
 ing as receivers of acoustic radiation force or seeding localized bubble c
 avitation. Additional remote control is provided by thermal bioswitches 
 – biomolecules that provide switch-like control of gene expression in re
 sponse to small changes in temperature. This allows us to use focused ultr
 asound to remote-control engineered cells in vivo
LOCATION:In person in the Max Perutz Lecture Theatre (CB2 0QH) and via Zoo
 m\, link: https://mrc-lmb-cam-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/94069360553?pwd=djJlT09ZOTlE
 NzNJVzRYVnp6WWVZQT09
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