Central questions – Chromatin regulation
- How is the DNA organized within single cells in 3D?
We developed a multiplexed imaging method called Chromatin Tracing to see with super resolution how the DNA is organized within the nucleus. Details here .
- How can we measure in each cell how DNA, regulatory proteins interact together to produce nascent RNA?
We developed a multimodal imaging method in which we can simultaneously image >1,000 DNA regions together with >1,000 nascent RNA species in the context of multiple protein structures in each nucleus. Details here.
Central questions – Olfaction
- Which olfactory receptor neurons respond to different odors?
Using multiplexed imaging we determine the receptor expression of olfactory neurons together with the immediate early genes marking the response of the neurons to different olfactory cues.
A. MERFISH applied to the RNA of >200 receptor genes (yellow) in an olfactory epithelium section. Scale bar: 1mm. B. A magnified region of the section (scale bar 10?m) indicating the activity marker (red, mRNA FISH) and receptor types (white). The active receptor types are boxed. C. Fraction of activated neurons in mice across receptors for three different odors: cat (top), female (middle) and male (bottom.) ~80,000 neurons were profiled for each condition.
- Where do olfactory neurons project into the brain?
Using the sensitivity of imaging we can determine the precise glomerular structures where specific receptor neurons project into the brain.