publication – Article-Genomic Labeling

A CRISPR/molecular beacon hybrid system for live-cell genomic imaging

CHENLAB We have developed a novel live-cell genomic imaging platform, termed CRISPR/MB, which comprises dCas9, an MB, and an sgRNA engineered with an MB target sequence in the stem–loop 2 region, and demonstrated its capacity for quantitative, dynamic and dual-color analysis of genomic loci in human cells. Read More ›

publication – Article-Autophagy

Inhibition of retroviral Gag assembly by non-silencing miRNAs promotes autophagic viral degradation

CHENLAB In this study, we demonstrated that targeting of misassembled viral complexes from the PM to lysosomes for degradation is driven by macroautophagy. The process involves p62, which potentially recognizes the endocytosed misassembled viral complexes as protein aggregates. Read More ›

publication – Article-Single-molecule RNA imaging

A molecular beacon-based approach for live-cell imaging of RNA transcripts with minimal target engineering at the single-molecule level

CHENLAB Using MBs that elicit a marginal level of nonspecific signals (2Me/PSLOOP MBs), we showed that single RNA transcripts engineered with as few as 8 tandem repeats of an MB target sequence can be detected at the single-molecule level with high accuracy under standard widefield fluorescence microscopy. Read More ›

publication – Article-Single-molecule RNA imaging

Single-molecule detection and tracking of RNA transcripts in living cells using phosphorothioate-optimized 2′-O-methyl RNA molecular beacons

CHENLAB In this study, we systematically optimized the extent of PS modification of the 2Me backbone and successfully created a new molecular beacon platform that overcomes the shortcomings (false-positive signals) associated with conventional MBs. Read More ›