Copenhagen Bioscience Snapshot – with Prof. Ralf Jungmann and Prof. Patrick Bryant

Description

Prof. Ralf Jungmann: Localizomics: towards spatial omics using DNA-based super-resolution microscopy – Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Munich, Germany

I will discuss our group’s vision of converting standard off-the-shelf fluorescence microscopy hardware into a tool for spatial omics. To enable this, I will first introduce technical advancements in DNA-PAINT including approaches that achieve sub-nanometer spatial resolution and spectrally unlimited multiplexing in whole cells. I will then discuss protein labeling probes such as Slow Off-rate Modified Aptamers (SOMAmers) that could allow DNA-barcoded labeling of much of the proteome in a cellular environment. Next, I present approaches to increase DNA-PAINT’s traditionally slow imaging speeds to achieve throughputs necessary for network-wide molecular interrogation. To this end, we employed rationale DNA sequence design and demonstrate 100-times faster imaging without compromising quality or resolution. Finally, I will present cell surface receptor quantification at thus far elusive resolutions and levels of multiplexing, which could yield insights into the molecular architecture of receptor interactions and enable the future development of “pattern”-based therapeutics.

Ralf Jungmann is a professor for Experimental Physics at LMU Munich and Max Planck Fellow at the MPI of Biochemistry in Martinsried. Jungmann studied physics at Saarland University and received his PhD in 2010 from the TU Munich. He then became an Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellow at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University before joining LMU and MPIB.

Jungmann and his team are widely recognized for their ground-breaking developments and applications of DNA-based fluorescence microscopy, namely DNA-PAINT. DNA-PAINT is a super-resolution microscopy technique that uses short, transient DNA-DNA interactions to provide unrivaled spatial resolution and multiplexing. The method employs complementary DNA strand binding, allowing researchers to visualize cellular structures and molecules with precision previously thought unattainable. DNA-PAINT has unlocked new potentials in diverse scientific realms, from unraveling intricate biological processes at the molecular level to aiding advancements in material science and biomedicine.

In two of his latest breakthrough studies, Jungmann and his team achieved Ångström-resolution fluorescence microscopy and spatial proteomics at single protein resolution in neurons, unravel the Mode of Action of monoclonal antibodies in cancer in the first study and uncovering a novel type of synapse in the latter.

Jungmann’s contributions have been acknowledged with numerous awards. Furthermore, his work has fostered international collaborations and stimulated a new generation of researchers to think creatively about the applications of nanotechnology in the life sciences.

Prof. Patrick Bryant: Exploring the structural universe of interacting proteins – SciLifeLab, Stockholm University, Sweden

Patrick Bryant will present about his tools that make it possible to predict protein structures, their interaction partners, and to conceptualize new molecules that can bind to proteins. He is currently refining and applying these tools to discover potential remedies for diseases and enhance diagnostic methods. His notable contributions include predicting various protein configurations, DNA-binding proteins, and cancer-specific peptides.

Patrick Bryant is principal investigator at Stockholm University and data-driven life science fellow at SciLifeLab. He pursued his studies in medical biotechnology at KTH in Stockholm. Subsequently, he gained experience as an industrial chemist and worked on cancer genetics at Karolinska Institute. He earned his PhD from the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Stockholm University and further expanded his expertise in Deep Learning as a postdoc at FU Berlin. Dr. Bryant’s research focuses on the evolution of proteins and how this knowledge can be harnessed to develop a new generation of AI tools.

The event will take place on Nov 9, 15:00-18:00 (CET) – in the Nielsine Nielsen Auditorium, Panum, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 København

Registration

The event is free and open to all.

We request that participants register, so we know how many people to expect (and how much refreshments to provide).

Event info and registration: https://www.tilmeld.dk/cph-bioscience-snapshot-nov-

Please contact the organizers Amelia Green (amelia.green@sund.ku.dk) if you have questions about the event.