It was an honor to be awarded an ASME rising star award at the ASME IMECE conference in Portland, Oregon. Thanks for all the support.

Glad to share our latest work in PNAS

Agonist activation to open the Gα subunit of the GPCR–G protein precoupled complex defines functional agonist activation of TAS2R5 | PNAS

Our study reveals the underlying molecular mechanisms of ligand-induced activation in the human bitter taste receptor TAS2R5. Despite similar binding energies, significant variations in agonist potencies were observed. Using live cell-based assays, optical resonators, and molecular dynamics simulations, we found that the activation energy of the opening of the Gα subunit for GDP–GTP exchange, rather than binding affinity alone, correlates highly with agonist potency. This finding refines our understanding of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activation, paving the way for the rational design of new therapeutic agents targeting these receptors.

Our article on screening for Alzheimer’s disease was highlighted on the front page of npj Biosensing.

Towards early diagnosis and screening of Alzheimer’s disease using frequency locked whispering gallery mode microtoroids | npj Biosensing

Our last work on taste receptors with Bill Goddard’s group at Caltech, Cargill, Cube Biotech, and the Université de Bourgogne-Franche Compté has been published in Communications Chemistry.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42004-024-01324-x

These studies can guide rational design of novel non-caloric sweeteners aimed at enabling lower sugar usage levels while retaining the sweet taste. This may provide the basis for novel therapeutic applications for treatment of obesity and related metabolic dysfunctions such as diabetes.

We thank the NIH and Cargill, Inc for financial support.

Our lastest work on label-free characterization of GPCR interactions at extremely low (zeptomolar) concentrations has been published in Nature Communications. We thank an NIGMS R35 grant and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for support.

Label-free, real-time monitoring of membrane binding events at zeptomolar concentrations using frequency-locked optical microresonators | Nature Communications

I am happy to share our first paper on the early diagnosis and screening of Alzheimer’s disease.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44328-024-00009-8

In this study, we utilize the ultra-sensitivity of FLOWER (frequency-locked optical whispering evanescent resonator) to quantify levels of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarker Aβ42 in post-mortem cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from control, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD participants. We demonstrate FLOWER’s capability to effectively screen CSF samples for AD diagnosis. Measuring Aβ levels can facilitate early AD diagnosis and support drug studies and efforts to delay dementia. FLOWER was able to distinguish healthy cognitively unimpaired participants from those with MCI and AD, marking an important advancement in early diagnosis.

We would like to thank an NIGMS R35 grant, an NIA NIH R03 grant, and the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium for their generous support, which made this investigation possible.

Our work on combining microtoroid optical resonators with photothermal microscopy to detect single 5 nm quantum dots with a signal-to-noise ratio > 10^4 without the use of labels has been published in Light: Science & Applications. We thank an NIGMS R35 grant and the Gordon & Betty Moore foundation for support. We anticipate our work will have applications in a variety of fields including the biological sciences, nanotechnology, materials science, chemistry, and medicine.

Single 5-nm quantum dot detection via microtoroid optical resonator photothermal microscopy | Light: Science & Applications (nature.com)

Our paper entitled “Ultra-high-Q free-space coupling to microtoroid resonators” (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41377-024-01418-0) was selected by Light: Science as Applications as the Top Downloaded Paper in April 2024. We’d like to thank the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) for its sponsorship and support.

Congratulations to the newest PhD in our lab! Dr. Adley Gin successfully defended his thesis, “Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and Studying Kappa Opioid Receptors Using Whispering Gallery Mode Microtoroid Biosensors” on April 4th. This work was funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Aging, and the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium.

Glad to have the opportunity to share the latest findings from my lab to students and faculty at UCSD NanoEngineering / Chemical Engineering on May 15th, 2024. I’m looking forward to learning more from my host institution as well.

Ultra-sensitive, selective, and label-free optical sensing for fundamental science, environmental monitoring, and translational medicine | Department of NanoEngineering (ucsd.edu)