Information updated Jan 2025

Our research program, named ‘Quantitative Imaging At Nanoscale with SUper-resolution (QIAN SU LAB)’, bridges applied biomedical engineering with fundamental sciences and clinical requests. The research program brings new insights to biological questions addressed at the single-molecule level by advanced microscopy, with high spatial, temporal and thermal resolution. We have developed state-of-art biophysical nanotools, Molecular Imaging, Dynamic Imaging and Functional Imaging to visualize the precise structures and pinpoint the molecular mechanisms during vital biological and medical processes, including:

[Dynamic Imaging] Developing advanced single-molecule imaging, tracking and manipulating systems to study motor and cytoskeleton-driven membrane dynamics and the underlying molecular mechanisms (Nat.CellBiol. 2015, Cell Res. 2015a, Sci.Rep. 2015, Dev.Cell 2016, PNAS 2017, Nat.Comms 2020, EMBORep 2020, Nat Photonics 2024, etc.);

[Molecular Imaging] Applying super-resolution microscopy to resolve the spatial-temporal distribution, organization and interactions of the hierarchical chromatin structures, DNA replication and transcription mechanisms in both mammalian and bacterial cells (Nat.Comms 2014, CellRes. 2015b, PNAS 2020, GenBiol. 2021, MiMB 2023, eLife 2024, etc.);
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[Functional Imaging] Deciphering the molecular interaction dynamics, termed “interactome”, for the mechanosensor integrin αIIbβ3 (GPIIb/IIIa) on blood clotting platelets, under clinical trialled drug (Nat.Comms 2018, Nat.Materials 2019, Euro. Bioph.J. 2022, Adv.Funct.Mat. 2023, Sci.Signaling 2023, Nat.Comms 2024, etc.). Pinpointing in vivo and in situ temperature dynamics in living cells and metabolic disease models (Chem.Sci. 2018, NanoLet. 2020/2021, PNAS 2022, etc.).