WHaloForce enables chemigenetic imaging of molecular tension in living cells and animals https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.18.745627v1
John Ngo
@johntngo.bsky.social
Associate Prof of BME at BU Synthetic mechanobiology, single molecules, molecular structure and engineering, bio-organic chemistry, and general enthusiast of science, kindness, and understanding. www.thengolab.com
To H2B… what a LifeAct!
Anh Hoang Le, PhD 🏳️🌈@anhhle2702.bsky.social · 3mo agoHappy #FluorescenceFriday! I captured this shot of a group of embryonic macrophages expressing LifeAct and H2B migrating inside tissue. These cells can use lamellipodia, filopodia, or blebs to migrate, and are frequently switching between these different modes or combining them. So fascinating.
My dear ribosome: you’ve betrayed us. #readinglist
Mart Krupovic@mkrupovic.bsky.social · 6mo agoWith Eugene Koonin, we propose a concept of “the selfish ribosome”, under which evolution of life is viewed as a ribosomal takeover, where the ribosome evolved to consume most of the cell’s resources, while other cellular componentry ensures the propagation of the ribosome. arxiv.org/abs/2602.23268
Excited to share insights on Synthetic Mechanobiology! @currentbiology.bsky.social This field reframes force sensing as a design problem in which mechanical signaling is rewired to achieve useful outcomes & in which rewiring itself is a powerful investigative strategy. www.cell.com/current-biol...
Today I'd like to honor the memory of my mentor and friend, Roger Tsien, born 1952 February 1. Today would have been Roger's 74th birthday. Most know Roger for his 2008 Chemistry Nobel Prize with Shimomura and Chalfie. Roger made GFP into the versatile imaging method it is now.
I'm excited to be hiring an intern to develop new fluorescence-based assays for alpha synuclein aggregation at Calico during summer 2026 😃 🔬 If you're a current PhD student who loves microscopy, unnatural amino acids, and/or synuclein biophysics, please apply! www.calicolabs.com/careers/?gh_...
Careers - Calico
calicolabs.com
“Force”-ing this back into your feeds since I forgot to add the ReadCube link! rdcu.be/eKLv5
Synthetic mechanotransduction
Nature Reviews Bioengineering - Cells convert mechanical forces into biochemical signals through mechanotransduction, a process which can now be synthetically engineered. In this Review, we examine...
rdcu.be
Pleased to share our review on “Synthetic Mechanotransduction” — now live at Nature Reviews Bioengineering. May the force be with you! www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Synthetic mechanotransduction - Nature Reviews Bioengineering
Cells convert mechanical forces into biochemical signals through mechanotransduction, a process which can now be synthetically engineered. In this Review, we examine engineered artificial mechanotrans...
nature.com
After a long journey and much hard work from many talented scientists, our paper is finally out. Take a look if you are interested in proteases and host microbe interactions in the gut. www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
A Bacteroides fragilis protease activates host PAR2 to induce intestinal pain and inflammation
Lakemeyer and colleagues analyze the secretome of gut bacteria to identify factors that target host PAR2. They find that the Bacteroides fragilis protease Bfp1 cleaves and activates PAR2, disrupting i...
cell.com
Engineered bispecific Notch agonists “pull” on and mechanically activate Notch receptors in the presence of desired biomarkers www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Engineering synthetic agonists for targeted activation of Notch signaling - Nature Chemical Biology
The development of soluble Notch agonists is a challenge because of the mechanical forces needed to activate Notch receptors. Here, bispecific Notch agonist proteins were designed that ‘pull’ on and activate Notch receptors in the presence of desired biomarkers.
nature.com
Very excited to share new work out today in @natchembio.nature.com on a new approach - FACES - for selectively imaging of phospholipids and other biomolecules at spatial resolutions down to individual membrane leaflets (1/n) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Leaflet-specific phospholipid imaging using genetically encoded proximity sensors - Nature Chemical Biology
An approach combining bioorthogonal chemistry with genetically encoded fluorogen-activating proteins enables subcellular imaging of phospholipids and glycans, as well as the visualization of lipid tra...
nature.com
🚀 Our new paper is out @natmethods.nature.com! Kuffer & Marzilli engineered conditionally stable MS2 & PP7 coat proteins (dMCP & dPCP) that degrade unless bound to RNA, enabling ultra–low-background, single-mRNA imaging in live cells. 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧬 www.addgene.org/John_Ngo/
Do what you love and love what you do, and if you can, leave the world a better, more open, and more understanding place.
My lab at BU is looking to hire a post-doc with experience in biophysics, protein engineering, and chemical (or synthetic) biology. The anticipated start date is Jan 2026. Please send a resume, cover letter, and names/emails for 3 references. We are looking to interview people during Sept/Oct 2025.
Please RT 🙏 If you’re an early career researcher working in the fields of structural or synthetic biology wishing to start your lab then come join us at Imperial. We’re looking to support outstanding individuals for external Career Development Awards/Fellowships. www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperi...
For those who can, and while you are in it, give science, knowledge, possibility, and hope your full effort. We’re counting on you. It’ll be worth it… trust me.
For those who can, and while you are in it, give science, knowledge, possibility, and hope your full effort. We’re counting on you. It’ll be worth it… trust me.
Everybody be you and keep going. Do your best. We are so proud of you!
This group photo from the 1999 Bioorganic GRC is everything… and more!
Greetings from the 2025 Bioorganic GRC, where this gem is on display in the meeting history books. So many familiar faces—who do you see? Check out right side row 3 for RYT. @michaelzlin.bsky.social
To my fellow young scientists---I have one key message to share with you right now: do what you love and love what you do. That is exactly science needs right now.
Quan Le engineered intracellular nanobodies that can be stabilized and activated by NS3 protease inhibitors. By inserting NS3 at key sites, he created drug-sensitive nanobodies targeting GFP, mCherry, ALFA tag, and the β2-adrenergic receptor. Check it out here:
Protease-Containing Nanobodies for Detecting and Manipulating Intracellular Antigens Using Antiviral Drugs
Tools to induce the formation of protein–protein interactions (PPIs) via small molecules are essential for investigating and engineering biological systems. Here we introduce a protease-based strategy...
pubs.acs.org
In partnership with @pubs.acs.org , #ACSBIOL is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Hammes Awards: Prof. Karen Allen of @bostonu.bsky.social and Dr. Jianjun Cao of @monashuniversity.bsky.social !
Honored to be the 2025 recipient of the ACS Synthetic Biology Young Innovator Award. Hope to see you in Houston for #SEED2025!
Meet John Ngo, Winner of the 2025 ACS Synthetic Biology Young Innovator Award | ACS Publications Chemistry Blog
Read an exclusive interview with Prof. Ngo covering his research, his history with the journal, and advice to early career researchers.
axial.acs.org
Check out this awesome handheld sarcomere, crafted by a BE209 student as a last-day-of-classes gift! #calcium
Makino, Tomishige et al. @utokyoofficial.bsky.social demonstrate that, when #kinesin-1 walks along #microtubules, the detached head cannot rebind to the rear binding site because of an intolerable increase in tension, thus ensuring forward stepping after ATP binding. rupress.org/jcb/article/...
