Our lab develops microfluidic and single-molecule technologies to understand how the physical properties of cells link to their molecular states and functions in cancer, immunity, and the microbiome. We integrate single-cell biophysical profiling, high-throughput biophysical sorting, and multiplexed nucleic acid assays to map cell mechanics to molecular states, and identify translational biomarkers that guide diagnostics and therapy response.
We are developing integrated single-cell microfluidic platforms that directly connect a cell’s physical properties (mass and stiffness) with its molecular programs revealed by transcriptomics. This platform is powered by the Suspended Microchannel Resonator (SMR), a microfluidic device that measures single cells' buoyant mass with picogram precision while also enabling measurement of their mechanical properties in a non-invasive manner. By integrating SMR-based biophysical measurements with single-cell RNA sequencing, the approach enables unbiased discovery of molecular programs that covary with physical phenotypes. We aim to this platform to map biophysical heterogeneity in various biological systems, and uncovering how these features relate to pathways of drug resistance, immune activation, or microbial adaptation, providing a broadly applicable pipeline to identify translational biomarkers that cannot be revealed by molecular data alone.
We are developing novel microfluidic sorters that separate live cells based on their intrinsic physical properties, without the need for labels or perturbations. These devices are designed to enable non-invasive and high-throughput sorting of thousands of cells by their mass and/or stiffness. With this technology, we can directly connect biophysical states with downstream multi-omics and functional readouts, in order to discover new molecular pathways linked to growth potential, mechanical resilience, or therapy resistance across a wide range of biological systems. We aim to apply these sorters for enriching functionally distinct cell subsets, accelerating biomarker discovery, and enabling the design of new therapeutic strategies across oncology, immunology, and microbiome research.
We are developing single-molecule fluorescence technologies to enable highly multiplexed nucleic-acid assays that complement our biophysical platforms. These technologies provide low-input, quantitative detection of genetic and epigenetic features, creating diagnostic pipelines that link molecular states with cell mechanics and functions. Our assays are designed to simultaneously detect mutations, epigenetic modifications, and structural DNA features, offering insights not accessible from physical measurements alone. By integrating these molecular readouts with biophysical profiling and high-throughput sorting, we aim to establish a comprehensive framework for biomarker discovery and translational diagnostics.