Nhu Phan

University of Gothenburg

External website

nhu.phan@chem.gu.se

0720352002

Keywords

Correlative imaging, Mass spectrometry imaging, membrane lipids, NanoSIMS, neural stem cells, protein turnover

Key Publications

Berlin E., Lork A.A, Bornecrantz M., Ernst C., Phan N.T.N*. Lipid organization and turnover in the plasma membrane of human differentiating neural progenitor cells revealed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. Talanta (2024) 272, 125762.

Lork A.A, Rabasco S., Ernst C., Du Toit A., Rizzoli S.O., and Phan N.T.N*. Subcellular protein turnover in human neural progenitor cells revealed by correlative electron microscopy and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. Chemical Science (2024) 15, 9, 3311-3322.

Rabasco S., Lork A.A., Berlin E., Nguyen T.D.K., Ernst C., Locker N., Ewing A.G., and Phan N.T.N*. Characterization of Stress Granule Protein Turnover in Neuronal Progenitor Cells Using Correlative STED and NanoSIMS Imaging. Int. J. Mol. Sci. (2023) 24, 2546.

Zheng Y., Nguyen T., Dunevall J., Phan N.T.N.*, and Ewing A.G. Dynamic Visualization and Quantification of Single Vesicle Opening and Content by Coupling Vesicle Impact Electrochemical Cytometry with Confocal Microscopy. ACS Meas. Sci. Au (2021) 1, 3, 131–138.

Agüi-Gonzalez P., Guobin B., Gomes de Castro M.A, Rizzoli S.O., and Phan N.T.N.*. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Imaging Reveals Changes in the Lipid Structure of the Plasma Membranes of Hippocampal Neurons following Drugs Affecting Neuronal Activity. ACS Chem. Neurosci. (2021) 12, 9, 1542–1551.

Kabatas S., Agüi-Gonzalez P., Saal K-A, Jähne S., Opazo F., Rizzoli S.O, and Phan N.T.N*. Boron-containing probes for non-optical high-resolution imaging of biological samples. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2019) 58, 3438-3443.

SciLifeLab / Contact / Nhu Phan

My group focuses on the development and applications of mass spectrometry imaging (ToF-SIMS, NanoSIMS, MALDI), fluorescence microscopy and super-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, electron microscopy, and multiple correlative nanoscale imaging using combinations of these modalities. These methods have been used to understand the structural and functional relationship of biomolecules in neural stem cells, neuronal cells, and the brain.

My group also has a deep interest in the development of novel labeling probes facilitating the correlative imaging. The probes contain elements that are visible in all imaging modalities, including SIMS, fluorescence microscopy, and electron microscopy, enabling multiplex targeted molecular imaging at micro- and nanoscale resolution.

Current research topics within my group:

• Organization of structural lipids at the synaptic membrane, and its relation to neuronal activity.

• Targeted molecular imaging of the brain, structural and functional relations in brain activity.

• Developing novel labelling probes for correlative imaging of multiple targeted proteins.

• Molecular regulation of neural stem cell differentiation; neuronal development, ageing, degeneration.

• Molecular pathway of stress granules (SGs) in neuronal cells and stress-related diseases.

Group Members

Emmanuel Berlin
Nina Gotzmann
Andre du Toit
Iswar Chandra Mondal