2) FRET-based biosensors

We focus on developing FRET-based nanosensors for probing MMP enzymes & Mpro proteases by designing functional polypeptides and peptide-AuNP conjugates.

In this part of work, I was mentored by Dr Zhicheng Jin, a postdoctoral researcher in Jokerst Lab @Jokerst Lab, and his Ph.D. advisor, Prof. Hedi Mattoussi @Florida State University. Many thanks to Dr Ming XU, who is now doing amazing work in another lab @UCSD.

Related projects are as following

prj 4. Peptide Amphiphile Mediated Co‐assembly for Nanoplasmonic Sensing (Mentored by Dr Zhicheng Jin)

🌟 Jin, Z.‡, Li, Y.‡, Li, K.‡, Zhou, J., Yeung, J., Ling, C., Yim, W., He, T., Cheng, Y., Xu, M. and Creyer, M.N., 2022. Peptide Amphiphile Mediated Co‐assembly for Nanoplasmonic Sensing. Angewandte Chemie.

prj 5. Spacer Matters: All-Peptide-Based Ligand for Promoting Interfacial Proteolysis and Plasmonic Coupling (Mentored by Dr Zhicheng Jin)

🌟 Jin, Z., Ling, C., Li, Y., Zhou, J., Li, K., Yim, W., Yeung, J., Chang, Y.C., He, T., Cheng, Y. and Fajtová, P., 2022. Spacer Matters: All-Peptide-Based Ligand for Promoting Interfacial Proteolysis and Plasmonic Coupling. Nano Letters, 22(22), pp.8932-8940.

prj 6. A peptidic sulfhydryl for interfacing nanocrystals to sense SARS-CoV-2 protease (Mentored by Dr Zhicheng Jin)

➡️ Designed peptide for interfacing Au crystals and subsequent sensing of SARS-CoV-2 protease;
➡️ Assembled peptide onto AuNP via ligand exchange method and purified conjugates via electrophoresis;
➡️ Monitored concentration- and protease-responsiveness of peptide-functionalized AuNPs via NTA and DLS;
🌟 Jin, Z., Yeung, J., Zhou, J., Cheng, Y., Li, Y., Mantri, Y., He, T., Yim, W., Xu, M., Wu, Z. and Fajtova, P., 2022. Peptidic Sulfhydryl for Interfacing Nanocrystals and Subsequent Sensing of SARS-CoV-2 Protease. Chemistry of Materials, 34(3), pp.1259-1268.

prj 7. A self-immolative fluorescent probe for selective detection of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mentored by Dr Ming Xu)

🌟 Xu, M., Zhou, J., Cheng, Y., Jin, Z., Clark, A.E., He, T., Yim, W., Li, Y., Chang, Y.C., Wu, Z. and Fajtová, P., 2022. A self-immolative fluorescent probe for selective detection of SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Analytical chemistry, 94(34), pp.11728-11733.

prj 8. Color Library: Peptide Coacervates for Sensing Mpro Driven by Hydrophlic Interaction (Mentored by Dr Zhicheng Jin)

🌟 Co-author manuscript in preparation, aiming at Nano Letters.