Recent Publications

Here is a list of some of the publications that have come from the biological physics groups at Northeastern. For a complete list of publications, see webpages for each lab.

2023

Ephaptic coupling as a resolution to the paradox of action potential wave speed and discordant alternans spatial scales in the heart

N. F. Otani, E. Figueroa, J. Garrison, M. Hewson, L. Munoz, F. H. Fenton, A. Karma, S. H. Weinberg. Phys. Rev. Lett., 2023, 130, 218401.

Sampling the proteome by emerging single-molecule and mass spectrometry methods

M. J. MacCoss, J. A. Alfaro, D. A. Faivre, C. C. Wu, M. Wanunu, N. Slavov. Nature Methods, 2023, 20, 339-346.

Multi-objective optimization of custom compound prism arrays for multiplexed optical imaging

L. Price, J. Tatz, J. Sutin J, B.Q. Spring BQ. Optics Express 2023, 31, 9739–9749.

Dynamic structure of T4 gene 32 protein filaments facilitates rapid noncooperative protein dissociation

B. A. Cashen, M. Morse, I. Rouzina, R. L. Karpel, M. C. Williams. Nucleic Acids Research., 2023, 51, 8587-8605.

Chromatin alternates between A and B compartments at kilobase scale for sub-genic organization 

H.L. Harris., H. Gu, A. Wang, … ,M. Di Pierro,…, et al  Nature Communications 2023, 14, 3303. 

Functional imaging and quantification of multineuronal olfactory responses in C. elegans

A. Lin, S. Qin, H. Casademunt, M. Wu, W. Hung, G. Cain, N. Z. Tan, R. Valenzuela, L. Lesanpezeshki, V. Venkatachalam, C. Pehlevan, M. Zhen, A. D. T. Samuel. Science Advances, 2023, 9, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade1249

Semi-quantitative detection of pseudouridine modifications and type I/II hypermodifications in human mRNAs using direct long-read sequencing

S. Tavakoli, M. Nabizadeh, A. Makhamreh, H. Gamper, C. A. McCormick, N. K. Rezapour, Y.-M. Jou, M. Wanunu, S. H. Rouhanifard. Nature Communications, 2023, 14, 334.

An Associative Memory Hamiltonian Model for DNA and Nucleosomes 

W. Lu, J.N. Onuchic, M. Di Pierro. PLOS Computational Biology 2023, 19, e1011013. 

A Marcus-type inverted region in the translocation kinetics of a knotted protein

P. Tripathi, B. Mehrafrooz, A. Aksimentiev, S. E. Jackson, M. Gruebele, M. Wanunu. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2023, 14, 10719-10726.

Interphase chromosomes of the Aedes aegypti mosquito are liquid crystalline and can sense mechanical cues 

V.G. Contessoto, O. Dudchenko, E.L. Aiden, P.G. Wolynes, J.N. Onuchic, M. Di Pierro Nature Communications 2023, 14, 326. 

Structural domains of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein coordinate to compact long nucleic acid substrates

M. Morse, J. Sefcikova, I. Rouzina, P. J. Beuning, M. C. Williams. Nucleic Acids Research, 2023, 51, 290-303.

Unidirectional single-file transport of full-length proteins through a nanopore

L. Yu, X. Kang, F. Li, B. Mehrafrooz, A. Makhamreh, A. Fallahi, J. C. Foster, A. Aksimentiev, M. Chen, M. Wanunu. Nature Biotechnology, 2023, 41, 1130-1139.

Ratchet, swivel, tilt and roll: A complete description of subunit rotation in the ribosome

A. Hassan, S. Byju, F. C. Campos, C. Roc, N. Pender, K. Nguyen, E. M. Kimbrough, J. M. Mattingly, R. L. Gonzalez Jr, R. J. Oliveira, C. M. Dunham, P. C. Whitford. Nucleic Acids Research, 2023, 51, 919-934.

2022

Minimal frustration underlies the usefulness of incomplete regulatory network models in biology

S. Tripathi, D. A. Kessler, H. Levine. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2022, 120, e2216109120.

Diffuse ions coordinate dynamics in a ribonucleoprotein assembly

A. Wang, M. Levi, U. Mohanty, P. C. Whitford. J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 9510-9522.

This study reported a new theoretical model for the treatment of ionic interactions with biopolymers.

Shaping the genome via lengthwise compaction, phase separation, and lamina adhesion 

S. Brahmachari, V.G. Contessoto, M. Di Pierro, J.N. Onuchic. Nucleic Acids Research, 2022, 50, 4258-42714.

Epigenetic factor competition reshapes the EMT landscape

M. A. Al-Radhawi, S. Tripathi, Y. Zhang, H. Levine. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2022, 119, e2210844119

An open-source LED array illumination system for automated multiwell plate cell culture photodynamic therapy experiments

K. Zhang, S. Timilsina, M. Waguespack M, E.M. Kercher, B.Q. Spring. Scientific Reports 2022, 12 19341.

Human FACT subunits coordinate to catalyze both disassembly and reassembly of nucleosomes

M. J. McCauley, M. Morse, N. Becker, …, J. Maher III, M. C. Williams. Cell Reports, 2022, 41, 111858.

The L1-ORF1p coiled coil enables formation of a tightly compacted nucleic acid-bound complex that is associated with retrotransposition

B. A. Cashen, M. N. Naufer, M. Morse, C. E. Jones, M. C. Williams, A. V. Furano. Nucleic Acids Research, 2022, 50, 8690-8699.

Collective curvature sensing and fluidity in three-dimensional multicellular systems

W. Tang, A. Das, A. F. Pegoraro, Y. L. Han, J. Huang, D. A. Roberts, H. Yang, J. F. Fredberg, D. N. Kotton, D. Bi, M. Guo. Nature Physics, 2022, 18, 1371-1378.

Imaging whole-brain activity to understand behavior

A. Lin, D. Witvliet, L. Hernandez-Nunez, S. W. Linderman, A. D. T. Samuel, V. Venkatachalam. Nature Reviews Physics, 2022, 4, 292-305.

Spatiotemporal organization of electromechanical phase singularities during high-frequency cardiac arrhythmias

A. M. Tabrizi, A. Mesgarnejad, M. Bazzi, S. Luther, J. Christoph, A. Karma. Phys. Rev. X, 2022, 12, 021052.

Denoising multiplexed microscopy images in n-dimensional spectral space

R. C. Harman, R. T. Lang, E. M. Kercher, P. Leven, B. Q. Spring. Biomed. Opt. Exp. 2022, 13, 4298-4309.

2021

3D genomics across the tree of life reveals condensin II as a determinant of architecture type

C. Hoencamp, … M. Di Pierro, E. L. Aiden, B. D. Rowland. Science, 2021, 372, 984-989.

NeuroPAL: A multicolor atlas for whole-brain neuronal identification in C. elegans

E. Yemeni, A. Lin, A. Nejatbakhsh, E. Varol, R. Sun, G. E. Mena, A. D. T. Samuel, L. Paninski, V. Venkatachalam, O. Hobert. Cell, 2021, 184, 272-288.e11

Natural sensory context drives diverse brain-wide activity during C. elegans mating

V. Susoy, W. Hung, D. Witvliet, J. E. Whitener, M. Wu, C. F. Park, B. J. Graham, M. Zhen, V. Venkatachalam, A. D. T. Samuel. Cell, 2021, 184, 5122-5137.

HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein binds double-stranded DNA in multiple modes to regulate compaction and capsid uncoating

H. Gien, M. Morse, M. J. McCauley, …, M. C. Williams. Viruses, 2021, 14, 235.

Sterically-confined rearrangements of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein control cell invasion

E. Dodero-Rojas, J. N. Onuchic, P. C. Whitford. eLife 2021, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.70362

This theoretical study provided the first description of how the SARS-CoV-2 virus is able to fuse with a host cell.
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Noise in neurons and synapses enable reliable associative memory storage in local cortical circuits

C. Zhang, D. Zhang, A. Stepanyants. eNeuro 2021, 8, ENEURO.0302-20.2020

2020 and earlier

A steric gate controls P/E hybrid formation of tRNA on the ribosome

M. Levi, K. Walak, A. Wang, U. Mohanty, P. C. Whitford. Nature Comm. 2020, 11, 5706.

Using simulations to apply a perturbation strategy, this showed how a small set of atoms is able to control the dynamics of a large-scale molecular machine.

Custom fabrication and mode-locked operation of a femtosecond fiber laser for multiphoton microscopy

N. Davoudzadeh, G. Docourthial, B. Q. Spring. Scientific Reports 2019, 9, 4233.

Artificial neural network filters for enhancing 3D optical microscopy images of neuritis

S.-L. Wang, S. M. M. Kahaki, A. Stepanyants. SPIE Medical Imaging, 2019, 10949, 109490G.

Accurate registration of in vivo time-lapse images

S. M. M. Kahaki, S.-L. Wang, A. Stepanyants. SPIE Medical Imaging, 2019, 10949, 109491D.

The Ca2+ transient as a feedback sensor controlling cardiomyocyte ionic conductances in mouse populations.

C. M. Rees, J.-H. Yang, M. Santolini, A. J. Lusis, J. N. Weiss, A. Karma. eLife, 2018, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.36717

Computer-assisted detection of axonal bouton structural plasticity in in vivo time-lapse images

R. Gala, D. Lebrecht, D. A. Sahlender, A. Jorstad, G. Knott, A. Holtmaat, A. Stepanyants. eLife, 2017, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.29315.