Dr. Yingxiao Wang Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Dr. Wang joined the Bioengineering faculty in August 2005. He obtained his bachelor and master degrees in Mechanics and Fluid Mechanics from Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China, in 1992 and 1996, respectively. He received his Ph.D. degree in Bioengineering at UC, San Diego in 2002. His Ph.D. dissertation is on the crosstalk among plasma membrane receptors in regulating signaling transduction and cellular functions upon fluid flow application. His current work focuses on the development of FRET-based biosensors to visualize and quantify signaling events in live cells. This may have applications in elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in cell motility/migration and early development of cancer. For more information see Dr. Wang's website at http://imaging.bioen.uiuc.edu/yingxiao_wang

Figure 1: Molecular imaging of the Src activity in live cells. HeLa cells transfected with the FRET-based Src reporter were stimulated with or without EGF. The blue color indicates low Src activation and the red color indicates high activation. The predicted 3D structures of the Src reporter before and after stimulation are shown on the upper-left corners of the images. The reporter is consisting of an N-terminal cyan fluorescence protein (CFP), a SH2 domain, a Src substrate peptide, and a C-terminal yellow fluorescence protein (YFP). The photos were taken by Yingxiao Wang.

Research Summary:
The functions of signaling molecules are dependent on their dynamics and subcellular localization. With the recent development of functional mutants of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and advancement of fluorescence microscope, it has become possible to monitor and manipulate target proteins in live cells. Interdisciplinary approaches involving molecular/cellular biology, biomechanics, nanotechnology, biophotonics, and quantitative analysis will be integrated to elucidate the molecular mechanisms in mechanobiology and cell motility, and to develop accurate imaging assays for early cancer detection, with the ultimate goal to develop an in-depth and systematic understanding of the complex biological system and to generate novel approaches to enhance the health and well-being of humankind. My lab is located in the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at UIUC, which provides state-of-the-art facilities and resources for interdisciplinary cutting-edge and groundbreaking research. My research interests include:

1) Developing genetically-encoded reporters based on fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) and combining red fluorescence protein (RFP) to visualize and elucidate the molecular hierarchy involved in live cell motility and migration;

2) Integrating the cutting-edge Nano- and Biophotonic-technologies, e.g. Nano-fabrication, Laser-Tweezer, and Multi-Photon Microscopy, together with fluorescence probes, to manipulate and visualize the regulatory signaling cascades in live cell mechanobiology.

3) Detecting early cancer development in biopsy samples with fluorescence reporters.