Multiplexed Ultrasound Imaging of Gene Expression

Event Date:
2026-03-12T11:00:00
2026-03-12T12:00:00
Event Location:
HENN 318
Speaker:
Nivin N. Nyström, LSRF Postdoctoral Fellow at Caltech
URL:
Zoom link
Related Upcoming Events:
Other Talks
Intended Audience:
Everyone
Local Contact:

Christina Zhou (headasst@phas.ubc.ca)

All are welcome to this special talk!

Zoom URL:     https://ubc.zoom.us/j/65949193632?pwd=NPQUmT7epBpiw8tszNNgIzGlturKTN.1v 

  • Meeting ID:         659 4919 3632
  • Passcode:            621026
     
Event Information:

Abstract:

Acoustic reporter genes (ARGs) encode air-filled protein nanostructures called gas vesicles, and have enabled imaging of gene expression and dynamic cellular processes with ultrasound, which provides high resolution access to deep, optically opaque living tissues. However, unlike their fluorescent counterparts, ARGs have so far been limited to a single ‘sound’, preventing multiplexed imaging of cellular states or populations. Here, we use directed evolution to develop two new ARGs that can be distinguished from each other based on their acoustic pressure-response profiles, enabling ‘two-tone’ ultrasound imaging of gene expression. We demonstrate the utility of multiplexed ARGs for delineating bacterial cell species and cell states in vitro, and then apply them towards imaging distinct subpopulations of probiotics in the mouse gastrointestinal tract and of tumor-colonizing bacterial agents in vivo. Just as the first wavelength-shifted derivatives of fluorescent proteins opened a vivid world for optical microscopy, these next-generation acoustic proteins set the stage for a rich symphony of ultrasound signals from living subjects.
 

Bio:

I received my PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Western Ontario in 2020, during which time I worked on an MR reporter gene system for ultrasensitive tracking of spontaneously metastasizing cancer cells in mouse models. In 2021, I was elected Junior Fellow of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), was awarded a Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF) Fellowship, and moved down to the California Institute of Technology for my postdoctoral training to work with Professor Mikhail Shapiro. During these past five years, I have focused on expanding the "Biomolecular Ultrasound Toolkit" by: (a) engineering multiplexed acoustic reporter genes (ARGs) for multi-variable tracking of molecular information within a single field-of-view, and (b) miniaturizing ARGs for efficient, single-AAV delivery to the brain. 
 

Learn More:

Add to Calendar 2026-03-12T11:00:00 2026-03-12T12:00:00 Multiplexed Ultrasound Imaging of Gene Expression Event Information: Abstract: Acoustic reporter genes (ARGs) encode air-filled protein nanostructures called gas vesicles, and have enabled imaging of gene expression and dynamic cellular processes with ultrasound, which provides high resolution access to deep, optically opaque living tissues. However, unlike their fluorescent counterparts, ARGs have so far been limited to a single ‘sound’, preventing multiplexed imaging of cellular states or populations. Here, we use directed evolution to develop two new ARGs that can be distinguished from each other based on their acoustic pressure-response profiles, enabling ‘two-tone’ ultrasound imaging of gene expression. We demonstrate the utility of multiplexed ARGs for delineating bacterial cell species and cell states in vitro, and then apply them towards imaging distinct subpopulations of probiotics in the mouse gastrointestinal tract and of tumor-colonizing bacterial agents in vivo. Just as the first wavelength-shifted derivatives of fluorescent proteins opened a vivid world for optical microscopy, these next-generation acoustic proteins set the stage for a rich symphony of ultrasound signals from living subjects.  Bio: I received my PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Western Ontario in 2020, during which time I worked on an MR reporter gene system for ultrasensitive tracking of spontaneously metastasizing cancer cells in mouse models. In 2021, I was elected Junior Fellow of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), was awarded a Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF) Fellowship, and moved down to the California Institute of Technology for my postdoctoral training to work with Professor Mikhail Shapiro. During these past five years, I have focused on expanding the "Biomolecular Ultrasound Toolkit" by: (a) engineering multiplexed acoustic reporter genes (ARGs) for multi-variable tracking of molecular information within a single field-of-view, and (b) miniaturizing ARGs for efficient, single-AAV delivery to the brain.   Learn More: View the Nivin lab webpage: The Nivin Lab Read her paper: Multiplexed ultrasound imaging of gene expression | Nature Methods Event Location: HENN 318