Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A Broad team has developed an innovative technology that can follow individual molecules in a cell for long periods of time and applied it to observe a set of cancer-related proteins in a way not possible before. Members of Sam Peng’s lab applied highly stable probes known as upconverting nanoparticles, which are dosed with rare-earth ions, to track EGFR, HER2, and HER3 in living human cells over time, watching as they partner up, let go, and move around the cell to find new partners. They observed new and surprising patterns of pairing among the receptors, and the findings help explain how cancer-related mutations contribute to disease by altering these dynamics. The work shows the method’s potential for investigating other receptors and molecules and for improved drug screening to better understand the effects of therapeutics on living cells.
“With our photostable probes, we can map out the entire lifespan of these molecules in their native environment and see things that have never been observable before,” said Peng.
A Broad team has developed an innovative technology that can follow individual molecules in a cell for long periods of time and applied it to observe a set of cancer-related proteins in a way not possible before. Members of Sam Peng’s lab applied highly stable probes known as upconverting nanoparticles, which are dosed with rare-earth ions, to track EGFR, HER2, and HER3 in living human cells over time, watching as they partner up, let go, and move around the cell to find new partners. They observed new and surprising patterns of pairing among the receptors, and the findings help explain how cancer-related mutations contribute to disease by altering these dynamics. The work shows the method’s potential for investigating other receptors and molecules and for improved drug screening to better understand the effects of therapeutics on living cells.
“With our photostable probes, we can map out the entire lifespan of these molecules in their native environment and see things that have never been observable before,” said Peng.
