About Ke Xu's Work
My lab develops next-generation microscopy and spectroscopy tools that offer new functionality, resolution, and sensitivity for biological, chemical, and nanomaterials systems. In particular, we recently developed spectrally resolved super-resolution microscopy to synchronously obtain the fluorescence spectra and positions of millions of single molecules within minutes. Harnessing this capability and further incorporating environment-sensing fluorescent probes, we further demonstrated functional super-resolution microscopy, in which intracellular physicochemical parameters, including local chemical polarity (hydrophobicity), pH, viscosity, and protein activity, are detected with single-molecule sensitivity and nanometer resolution. We thus unveiled nanoscale compositional heterogeneity in live-cell membranes, multipath reaction pathways of single molecules, as well as unexpectedly rich behavior of surface adlayers at the nanoscale.
Awards and Achievements
Sloan Research Fellow
Pew Biomedical Scholar
NSF CAREER Award
The Talented 12
Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator