The Stanford Photonics Research Center

Research in the Block lab marries aspects of physics and biology to study the properties of proteins or nucleic acids at the level of single macromolecules and molecular complexes. Experimental tools include laser-based optical traps (“optical tweezers”) and a variety of state-of-the-art fluorescence techniques, in conjunction with custom-built instrumentation for the nanometer-level detection of displacements and piconewton-level detection of forces. Current experimental work in the lab focuses on measuring the physical properties of biological motors and key polymerase enzymes. The group has recently invented a new method for single molecule sequencing of nucleic acid using laser trapping

Professor Butte's laboratory's goal is to address fundamental and therapeutic questions in immunology using innovative nanotechnological and biophysical approaches to visualize and manipulate cells. Our primary focus is on understanding the molecular controls that balance T cell activation versus tolerance. The ultimate aim of our work is to manipulate T cell signaling pathways to control immunologically-mediated diseases. We apply to in vitro and in vivo systems the techniques of AFM, soft lithography, and confocal microscopy. Projects in the lab include discovery and characterization of new inhibitory pathways of T cells; visualization of single-receptor activity in the T cell immunological synapse; super-resolution microscopy of immune cell receptors; nanoscale manipulation of single-receptors on T cells; atomic force microscopy of cells and biomaterials; development of low-cost diagnostic tools for immune monitoring and autoimmune diseases (such as Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis); mechanobiology of immune cells, cardiomyocytes, and cancer cells; and characterization of self-like antigens and their roles in autoimmunity.

My lab addresses two distinct questions. That is, how can precise patterns of neuronal connections be genetically programmed during development, and how, once formed, can such circuits be used to mediate complex visual behaviors? Using the fruit fly visual system as a model, we employ genetic approaches to manipulate the functions of genes and neurons. From this, we infer specific developmental roles for particular molecules, and infer specific computational roles for individual neurons.

Professor Deisseroth’s research group focuses on developing molecular and cellular tools to observe, perturb, and reengineer brain circuits. His group is based in the James H. Clark Center at Stanford and uses a range of techniques including neural stem cell and tissue engineering methods, electrophysiology, molecular biology, neural activity imaging, animal behavior, and computational neural network modeling. Professor Deisseroth, who is also a clinician in the Department of Psychiatry, uses novel electromagnetic brain stimulation techniques in human patients for therapeutic purposes