Integrated Calendar

The conventional bioprobe design has been carried out by so-called hypothesis-driven approach. The basic assumption of hypothesis-driven approach is that the scientist “knows the target” in advance, and then design the recognition motif for it. An alternative approach is diversity-driven approach, in which a broad range of fluorescence molecules in a library format are constructed by combinatorial chemistry, as a tool box for unbiased screening. Among several diversity sources, “Diversity Oriented Fluorescence Library Approach (DOFLA)” using fluorophore core with diverse recognition motives around has been the most fruitful in novel bioprobe generations. Using DOFLA, various colorful sensors for many different analytes and bioimaing probes from stem cells to neuron cells will be demonstrated. Whole body animal imaging will also be presented using NIR range of probes.

The performance of self-assembled systems in functional organic materials with electronic or bioactive properties critically depends on the organization and dynamics of the molecular building blocks. Understanding the self-assembly pathways involved in the formation of these supramolecular materials is essential. Although studies under thermodynamic and kinetic control have been performed, quantitative insight into the self-assembly pathways of these structures is lacking. Recent studies on the growth of protein fibrils introduced the concept of pathway complexity extending the traditional concepts of homogeneous and secondary nucleation events in single pathway assemblies. We will discuss crucial steps in the quantitative understanding of pathway complexity in synthetic homogeneous supramolecular polymerizations using chirality as an experimental tool. By obtaining these kinetic parameters, it is now possible to disclose hidden pathways during supramolecular polymerization processes. In the presentation, we show that the chemical self-assembly of chiral π-conjugated oligomers, operates via a nucleation – elongation pathway and hence is highly cooperative. As a result the solvent plays an essential role in the chemical self-assembly and strong evidence is found that the alkane solvents are co-organized with the oligomeric stack. These results are also of crucial importance for the discussion whether the chemical self-assembly creates the thermodynamically determined product or that is possible to form kinetically trapped structures as well. With this knowledge we will show some new functional supramolecular materials.

The MIT BioMicro Center is an integrated genomics facility that provides both expertise and equipment for systems biology. We offer researchers comprehensive genomics services, from experimental design to data analysis. Samples represent broad basic and translational research projects done at MIT. During the talk, I will discuss the challenges we face applying next generation sequencing techniques to research at MIT and how we overcome them.