Mingxu You: Mapping Mechanical Landscapes at Cell Junctions via Membrane- Anchored DNA Nanodevices

Mingxu You

University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Mapping Mechanical Landscapes at Cell Junctions via Membrane- Anchored DNA Nanodevices

Talk at the Forces at Play Seminar Series on 20.3.2025


This is a sketch of the talk by Minxun You that can be viewed/listened to on youtube (link in the blog) - the sketch has a lot of descriptive sketches of the basics of teh DNA devices, how they work and what the data showed as well as a sketch of the speaker

A recording of the talk can be seen on YouTube Linked Here

Papers mentioned in the talk:

M. You, Y. Lyu, D. Han, L. Qiu, Q. Liu, T. Chen, C. Wu, L. Peng, L. Zhang, G. Bao & W. Tan. (2017) DNA probes for monitoring dynamic and transient molecular encounters on live cell membranes.  Nature Nanotechnology, 12, 453-459.

Bagheri, Y., S. Chedid^, F. Shafiei, B. Zhao, & M. You. (2019) Quantitative assessment of the dynamic modification of lipid-DNA probes on live cell membranes.  Chem Sci, 10, 11030-11040

Zhao,, B., N. Li, T. Xie, Y. Bagheri, C. Liang, P. Keshri, Y. Sun, & M. You. (2020) Quantifying tensile forces at cell-cell junctions with a DNA-based fluorescent probe.  Chem Sci, 11, 8558-8566.

Keshri, P., B. Zhao, T. Xie, Y. Bagheri, J. Chambers, Y. Sun, & M. You. (2021) Quantitative and multiplexed fluorescence lifetime imaging of intercellular tensile forces.  Angew Chem Int Ed, 60, 15548-15555.

Bagheri, Y., A. A. Ali, P. Keshri, J. Chambers, A. Gershenson, & M. You. (2022) Imaging membrane order and dynamic interactions in living cells with a DNA Zipper probe. Angew Chem Int Ed, 61, e202112033.

Tian, Q., F. Yang, H. Jiang, P. Bhattacharyya, T. Xie, A. A. Ali, Y. Sun, & M. You. (2023) Imaging and detecting intercellular tensile forces in spheroids and embryoid bodies using lipid-modified DNA probes.  Front Cell Dev Biol, 11, 1220079.

Tabrizi, M.A.,  A. A. Ali, M. M. R. Singuru, L, Mi, P. Bhattacharyya, & M. You*. (2025) A portable and sensitive DNA-based electrochemical sensor for detecting piconewton-scale cellular forces. Anal. Chim. Acta, 1333, 343392.

Singuru, M. M. R.,  M. A. Tabrizi, P. Bhattacharyya, A. A. Ali, & M. You. (2025) Force-responsive delivery of anticancer drugs via a DNA mechanical nanovehicle.  Nano Letters, 25, 336-342.