Yonsei Advanced Science Institute

Understanding disease mechanisms and developing new therapeutic strategies requires holistic measurement of diverse anatomical and molecular traits that span multiple levels, from cells to an entire system. In this talk, I will discuss new technologies for studying organ-scale biological systems and how we can accelerate the technology adoption to maximize the impact.

기초과학연구원(IBS)은 카오스재단과 과학 대중화를 위한 업무협약(MOU)을 체결했다. 양 기관의 협업은 오는 7월 ‘기초과학 석학 강연’ 온라인 개최를 통해 첫 단추를 꿴다. 7월 14일에는 천진우 IBS 나노의학 연구단장이 ‘코로나에서 뇌과학까지’를 주제로 강연을 펼친다. 강연은 카오스재단 유튜브 채널에서 언택트로 시청할 수 있다.

천진우 단장님이 탁월한 연구 업적으로 2020학년도 연세대학교 우수업적교수로 선정되셨습니다....

Science Factory@Yonsei Season V will be held on Monday July 5. Application has begun this Monday. Feel free to send your application now!

Wearable biosensors represent a promising opportunity to continuously and non-invasively track human physiology through dynamic measurements of chemical markers in bio-fluids such as sweat, tears, saliva and interstitial fluid. Such biosensing platforms can thus offer real-time biochemical information toward a more comprehensive view of a wearer’s health, performance or stress at the molecular level. The growing recent interest in wearable and mobile technologies has led to increased research efforts toward development of non-invasive biomarker monitoring platforms. Continuous biomonitoring addresses the limitations of finger-stick blood testing and provides the opportunity for optimal therapeutic interventions. The research during PhD is focused on developing wearable sensors and biosensors along with non-invasive biosensing opportunities and the potential impact of such wearable devices on our daily life....

Mechanosensory feedback from the digestive tract to the brain is critical for limiting excessive food and water intake, but the underlying gut–brain communication pathways and mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we show that, in mice, neurons in the parabrachial nucleus that express the prodynorphin gene (hereafter, PBPdyn neurons) monitor the intake of both fluids and solids, using mechanosensory signals that arise from the upper digestive tract. Most individual PBPdyn neurons are activated by ingestion as well as the stimulation of the mouth and stomach, which indicates the representation of integrated sensory signals across distinct parts of the digestive tract. PBPdyn neurons are anatomically connected to the digestive periphery via cranial and spinal pathways; we show that, among these pathways, the vagus nerve conveys stomach-distension signals to PBPdyn neurons....

Low-intensity, low-frequency ultrasound (LILFU) is the next-generation, non-invasive brain stimulation technology for treating various neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanism of LILFU-induced neuromodulation has remained unknown. Here, we report that LILFU-induced neuromodulation is initiated by opening of TRPA1 channels in astrocytes. The Ca2+ entry through TRPA1 causes a release of gliotransmitters including glutamate through Best1 channels in astrocytes. The released glutamate activates NMDA receptors in neighboring neurons to elicit action potential firing. Our results reveal an unprecedented mechanism of LILFU-induced neuromodulation, involving TRPA1 as a unique sensor for LILFU and glutamate-releasing Best1 as a mediator of glia-neuron interaction. These discoveries should prove to be useful for optimization of human brain stimulation and ultrasonogenetic manipulations of TRPA1.

Metal halide perovskite nanocrystals with the chemically tunable bandgap and superb optical properties are promising candidates for a number of high performance optoelectronic and photonic applications....

On the 5th of November, 2020, the presidential delegation of Yonsei University, including Seoung Hwan Suh, the president visited IBS CNM. Jinwoo Choen, the director of IBS CNM greeted the delegation and gave a hall tour.

Science Factory at Yonsei, Season 3, 2020 Summer