Probing Life with Light

Highlighted News

June 2025,  we have identified a Fusobacterial RNA-binding protein and its mechanism harnessed by host cells to fight against common oral bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum, a microorganism implicated in periodontal disease and also associated with many other systemic conditions including colorrectal cancer and pregnancy complications. This research is now featured by Forsyth News.

November 2024,  thrilled to see the publication of our new imaging approach that is able to  "decrowd" microbial communities and pave the way to observe microbial adhensive interactions at single-cell level. This research is further featured by Forsyth News.

August 2024, thrilled to be selected as one of the 2024 Rising Stars in Engineering in Health co-hosted by Biomedical Engineering Departments of Boston University, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University, and look forward to meeting other colleagues and sharing my scientific stories at the event!

June 2024, my expansion microscopy-based multiplex FISH imaging project was recently funded by NIH/NIDCR K99/R00 Award. Very humbled and excited to advance this direction with the support from NIH/NIDCR and ADA Forsyth Institute!

January 2024, our paper on episymbiotic host-microbe interaction is out in The ISME Journal. In this work, we found that Saccharibacteria induces intracellular lipid droplets inside their bacterial host. It is a feature first revealed in oral bacteria and found playing a critical role in their intricate episymbiotic relationship! This work was awarded the 2024 QPC Lasers Young Investigator Best Paper Award at 2024 SPIE Photonics West conference as featured by ADA Forsyth News.

April 2023, we have found a new regulatory mechanism for host-derived transfer RNA fragments that keeps cancer-causing bacteria, Fusobacterium nucleatum, in check. Please check our full story. [Link]

April 2022, our paper using blue light to kill a wide range of bacterial superbugs via catalase photoinactivation is now published online in JCI Insight!  [Link]

February 2022, initiated by a very simple and fun H2O2 bubble experiment, we identified catalase, a reactive oxygen species-detoxifying enzyme, as one of the underlying molecular targets of blue light to kill superbugs. Please check this new finding through this link.  [Link]

January 2021, our story using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy to solve a longstanding mystery regarding how a widely used antifungal drug fights against fungal infections is featured by Boston University News.  [Link]

May 2020, our phototherapy approach to combat antibiotic resistance is featured by BU Brink. This paper reveals in great details how blue light disrupts MRSA cell membrane and how it revives conventional antibiotics against MRSA. [Link] 

June 2019, our story using blue light to kill superbug MRSA via staphyloxanthin photolysis is featured by "科普中国"!  金色的“葡萄”会致病，不如给它漂个白？ [Link]

May 2019, our paper using transient absorption microcopy to quantify glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is now published in Science Advances! Please check how we detect HbA1c level in whole blood samples of diabetic patients at single cell level with high sensitivity and accuracy. [Link]

April 2019, our story using blue light to kill superbug, MRSA, via photolysis of staphyloxanthin is featured by BU Brink! Please check to see how it impacts the research field and how it draws direct attention from many patients! [Link] 

March 2018, Pu-Ting wins the prestigious 2018 SPIE Translational Research Award based on her drug-free antimicrobial phototherapy! [Link]

Pu-Ting wins this award based on her research on drug-free photonic approach to eliminating methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Translational Research Symposium Chairs Bruce J. Tromberg of the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Center at the University of California, Irvine (USA) and Gabriela Apiou, from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (USA) present the award to Pu-Ting on February 4th 2018 at SPIE Photonics West Conference.