Events

Ardem Patapoutian, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine (2021), Professor at Scripps Research, Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Presidential Endowed Chair in Neurobiology.

Abstract
Mechanotransduction was perhaps the last major sensory modality not understood at the molecular level. Proteins/ion channels that sense mechanical force are postulated to play critical roles in sensing touch/pain (somatosensation), sound (hearing), shear stress (cardiovascular function), etc.; however, the identity of ion channels involved in sensing mechanical force had remained elusive. The Patapoutian lab identified PIEZO1 and PIEZO2, mechanically activated cation channels that are expressed in many mechanosensitive cell types. Genetic studies established that PIEZO2 is the principal mechanical transducer for touch, proprioception, baroreception, bladder, and lung stretch, and that PIEZO1 mediates blood-flow sensing, which impacts vascular development and iron homeostasis. Clinical investigations have confirmed the importance of these channels in human physiology. Current work in Patapoutian lab continues to explore the role of mechanosensation and interoception in physiology and disease.

This event is part of the Life Sciences Seminar Series and the BMI Distinguished Seminar Series, hosted by the Mackenzie Mathis Lab. The seminar is followed by a coffee break for fellow researchers to connect.

Electrochemical, aptamer-based sensors (E-ABs) enable specific, continuous, and real-time molecular measurements in vivo. Their selectivity and modularity stem from the use of nucleic acid aptamers—single-stranded DNA oligos selected in vitro for their ability to bind specific molecular targets. To create E-ABs, redox-reporter-modified aptamers are attached to gold electrodes via thiol-based self-assembly. These modified aptamers are engineered to exhibit two thermodynamic states: an unbound, slow electron-transferring state in the absence of the target, and a bound, fast electron-transferring state in the presence of the target. The two states exist in dynamic equilibrium, with the aptamers reversibly binding to and dissociating from their targets within milliseconds; thus, their fractional populations depend on target concentration. This sensor architecture facilitates continuous molecular sensing in vivo through serial electrochemical interrogation. Leveraging this unique capability, the Netz Lab is using E-ABs to study molecular transport from blood to the brain across the blood-brain barrier, and within the brain to understand the real-time kinetics of drug distribution. This presentation will discuss our achievements to date, as well as the many open questions that remain.