Laboratory for single cell biology studies of the LBD
Our laboratory uses multiple Molecular Biology techniques, such as RNA-seq, live time-lapse microscopy, flow-cytometry, qPCR, plate reading, etc. The study of natural and synthetic genes and circuits using time-lapse, gene expression data, allows us to propose new models for local and global genetic regulatory mechanisms. The lab also provides data for the development of single-cell signal processing and simulation tools of biological phenomena.
Microscopy system to image cells in multiple ways, such as confocal and epifluorescence, and phase contrast.
E. coli cells expressing GyraseA tagged with YFP. They occupy regions where the DNA is expected to be.
Flow-Cytometer with 2 lasers (488 nm and 561 nm) to collect information from many cells on their fluorescent proteins (or bioluminescence) and biophysical properties (e.g. cell size and granularity).
Cell population distributions of single-gene expression at different induction levels.
Multi-model plate reader to capture temperature-regulated timed gene expression of cell populations.
We combine RNA-seq, microscopy, flow-cytometry and, spectrophotometry, to obtain genome-wide, single-cell and population time-lapse, on single gene expression at the network scale.
The lab has allowed testing new ideas and study new phenomena. E.g., we engineered a system for setting low temperatures under microscope observation (from 5 to 50 C), and alter it at runtime. We used it to study, e.g., how temperature affects the ability of cells to segregate unwanted aggregates to their poles. We can also perfuse cells with fresh or altered media, while under observation. Finally, we have large strain libraries, to observe many genes of E. coli by GFP and YFP, as well as single-gene deletion mutants.