Our article on “Genetically encoded reporters for hyperpolarized xenon magnetic resonance imaging” has been published in Nature Chemistry. It describes how the the xenon-binding capabilities of gas vesicles allow them to be detected non-invasively at picomolar concentrations.

Link to the Article
Editor’s Choice in Science Translational Medicine

Thanks to all the lab members, family and friends who joined us for our first annual beach party at Bosla Chica beach!

Our article on the use of microbe-derived gas vesicles as molecular imaging agents for ultrasound has been published.

Link to the Article

News and Views by Mark Borden

Ultrasound movie of injected gas vesicles

Congratulations to everyone involved in this study and our continuing work on genetically encoded and engineered imaging agents for ultrasound!

The Shapiro Lab has officially moved into our newly renovated space in 126 Spalding.

The Shapiro Lab attended the World Molecular Imaging Congress in Savannah, GA. Photos: (Left) Dinner with Pradeep, Paula Deen, George and Mikhail. (Right) Mikhail delivering a Young Investigator Award talk at the closing ceremony.

Caltech is recruiting for the James Boswell Postdoctoral Fellowship in Molecular Engineering and Magnetic Resonance Imaging – a prestigious endowed fellowship to be hosted by the Shapiro Lab and the Huntington Medical Research Institute. Details and application instructions can be found here.

It official! The Shapiro Lab will will open at California Institute of Technology later this year, joining the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Our newly renovated molecular and cellular engineering laboratory will be located in Spalding hall, and we will use imaging facilities at the Beckman Institute. Looking forward to working with the students, faculty and staff of the world’s top university.

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund has selected us as one of this year’s recipients of the Burroughs Wellcome Career Awards at the Scientific Interface. Thank you!

President Obama has announced a new initiative to map the activity of the human brain. The Shapiro Lab aims to develop technologies to help make this possible. (The photo is of Mikhail at the White House for the President’s announcement, alongside other engineers and neuroscientists).

The W.M. Keck Foundation has made a $1M award to support the [genetic] transplantation of bacterial magnetosomes into mammalian cells. We are excited to collaborate with our co-PIs Arash Komeili, David Schaffer and Steve Conolly to make this happen!