Elias Puchner
Associate Professor, School of Physics and Astronomy
Contact
413 Physics And Nanotechnology Building
115 Union St. Se
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Affiliations
Elias Puchner
Associate Professor, School of Physics and Astronomy
Our lab employs and further develops modern biophysical techniques to study cellular processes with high precision and detail.
Living cells have the remarkable ability to sense environmental signals such as physical force or small molecules. This information is processed by intracellular signaling networks, which allow a cell to respond to the stimulus. Our research at the intersection of physics and biology aims to understand how these cellular signaling processes are regulated on different hierarchical length-scales by employing and further developing single molecule and super-resolution microscopy techniques.
On a mesoscopic length scale signaling proteins can self-assemble to complexes and intracellular organelles. We employ recently developed quantitative super-resolution microscopy to resolve these structures inside cells below the optical diffraction limit and to measure their biomolecular composition. This characterization allows to detect changes as organelles mature and to follow spatial re-arrangements of signaling proteins in response to stimuli. A particular focus of our lab is to investigate if and how such spatial re-arrangements can modulate the signaling strength of pathways.
On the nanoscopic length scale the activity of individual proteins can be regulated by conformational changes that are induced by binding reactions, covalent modifications or physical force. Such conformational changes that take place on a nm length scale and involve forces in the piconewton range can be dynamically investigated with atomic-force microscopy (AFM) based single molecule force spectroscopy.
Education
Ph.D. (summa cum laude), University of Munich, 2008
Dipl. Phys. (M.S.), University of Munich, 2006
Professional Background
Assistant Professor, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 2014-present
Postdoc, University of California, San Francisco, 2014
Session chair, Winter q-bio Conference, Hawaii, 2014
Guest editor FEBS, 2013-2014
Postdoc, University of Munich, 2010
Publication price Center for NanoScience, Munich, 2008 and 2010
Reviewer activities: NSF, ACS Nano, Biophysical Journal, Journal of Molecular Biology, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Analytical Chemistry, Journal of Molecular Recognition.
Honors and Awards
Postdoctoral research fellowship, German Research Foundation, 2010-2012
Attocube Wittenstein Research Award, 2008
Selected Publications
2023
Ritz, J.M., Khakimzhan, A., Kim, D.H., Puchner, E.M. (2023). Characterization of unexpected blue-shifted single molecule fluorescence of JF646 and JF669 for SMLM. Biophysical journal. 122 (3S1), [279a].
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.11.1589
Najt, C.P., Adhikari, S., Heden, T.D., Cui, W., Gansemer, E.R., Rauckhorst, A.J., Markowski, T.W., Higgins, L.A., Kerr, E.W., Boyum, M.D., Alvarez, J., Brunko, S., Mehra, D., Puchner, E.M., Taylor, E.B., Mashek, D.G. (2023). Organelle interactions compartmentalize hepatic fatty acid trafficking and metabolism. Cell reports. 42 (5), [112435].
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112435
2022
Mehra, D., Adhikari, S., Banerjee, C., Puchner, E.M. (2022). Characterizing locus specific chromatin structure and dynamics with correlative conventional and super-resolution imaging in living cells. Nucleic acids research. 50 (13), [e78].
DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac314
2021
Puchner, E. (2021). Efficient Cross-Correlation Filtering of One- and Two-Color Single Molecule Localization Microscopy Data. Frontiers in Bioinformatics.
DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2021.739769
Adhikari, S., Moscatelli, J., Puchner, E.M. (2021). Quantitative live-cell PALM reveals nanoscopic Faa4 redistributions and dynamics on lipid droplets during metabolic transitions of yeast. Molecular biology of the cell. 32 (17), [1565-1578].
DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-11-0695
2020
Adhikari, S., Banerjee, C., Moscatelli, J., Puchner, E.M. (2020). Conventional bodipy conjugates for live-cell super-resolution microscopy and single-molecule tracking. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 2020 (160), [e60950]. [1-9].
DOI: 10.3791/60950
Jr, A.M., DeMars, L., Ertsgaard, C.T., Puchner, E.M. (2020). Precisely calibrated and spatially informed illumination for conventional fluorescence and improved PALM imaging applications. Methods and applications in fluorescence. 8 (2), [025004].
DOI: 10.1088/2050-6120/ab716a
2019
Adhikari, S., Moscatelli, J., Smith, E.M., Banerjee, C., Puchner, E.M. (2019). Single-molecule localization microscopy and tracking with red-shifted states of conventional BODIPY conjugates in living cells. Nature Communications. 10 (1), [3400].
Final published versionDOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11384-6
Smith, E.M., Gautier, A., Puchner, E.M. (2019). Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy with the Fluorescence-Activating and Absorption-Shifting Tag (FAST) System. ACS Chemical Biology. 14 (6), [1115-1120].
DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00149
2017
Van Lengerich, B., Agnew, C., Puchner, E.M., Huang, B., Jura, N. (2017). EGF and NRG induce phosphorylation of HER3/ERBB3 by EGFR using distinct oligomeric mechanisms. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 114 (14), [E2836-E2845].
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1617994114
Ramírez, M.P., Rivera, M., Quiroga-Roger, D., Bustamante, A., Vega, M., Baez, M., Puchner, E.M., Wilson, C.A.M. (2017). Single molecule force spectroscopy reveals the effect of BiP chaperone on protein folding. Protein Science. 26 (7), [1404-1412].
DOI: 10.1002/pro.3137
2015
Wu, C.Y., Roybal, K.T., Puchner, E.M., Onuffer, J., Lim, W.A. (2015). Remote control of therapeutic T cells through a small molecule-gated chimeric receptor. Science (New York, N.Y.). 350 (6258), [aab4077].
DOI: 10.1126/science.aab4077
Sydor, A.M., Czymmek, K.J., Puchner, E.M., Mennella, V. (2015). Super-Resolution Microscopy: From Single Molecules to Supramolecular Assemblies. Trends in Cell Biology. 25 (12), [730-748].
DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2015.10.004
2014
Puchner, E.M., Huang, B., Gaub, H.E. (2014). Single molecule techniques - Applications in biology. FEBS Letters. 588 (19), [3519].
DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.08.020
2013
Puchner, E.M., Walter, J.M., Kasper, R., Huang, B., Lim, W.A. (2013). Counting molecules in single organelles with superresolution microscopy allows tracking of the endosome maturation trajectory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 110 (40), [16015-16020].
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1309676110
Heucke, S.F., Puchner, E.M., Stahl, S.W., Holleitner, A.W., Gaub, H.E., Tinnefeld, P. (2013). Nanoapertures for AFM-based single-molecule force spectroscopy. International Journal of Nanotechnology. 10 (5-7), [607-619].
DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2013.053529
2012
Strackharn, M., Stahl, S.W., Puchner, E.M., Gaub, H.E. (2012). Functional assembly of aptamer binding sites by single-molecule cut-and-paste. Nano letters. 12 (5), [2425-2428].
DOI: 10.1021/nl300422y
Puchner, E.M., Gaub, H.E. (2012). Single-molecule mechanoenzymatics. Annual Review of Biophysics. 41 (1), [497-518].
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-050511-102301
2011
Stahl, S.W., Puchner, E.M., Alexandrovich, A., Gautel, M., Gaub, H.E. (2011). A conditional gating mechanism assures the integrity of the molecular force-sensor titin kinase. Biophysical journal. 101 (8), [1978-1986].
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2011.09.027
Heus, H.A., Puchner, E.M., Van Vugt-Jonker, A.J., Zimmermann, J.L., Gaub, H.E. (2011). Atomic force microscope-based single-molecule force spectroscopy of RNA unfolding. Analytical Biochemistry. 414 (1), [1-6].
DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2011.03.012
2010
Geisler, M., Xiao, S., Puchner, E.M., Gräter, F., Hugel, T. (2010). Controlling the structure of proteins at surfaces. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 132 (48), [17277-17281].
DOI: 10.1021/ja107212z
Puchner, E.M., Gaub, H.E. (2010). Exploring the Conformation-Regulated function of Titin Kinase by mechanical pump and probe experiments with single molecules. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition. 49 (6), [1147-1150].
DOI: 10.1002/anie.200905956
Puchner, E.M., Gaub, H.E. (2010). Mechanoenzymatics and nanoassembly of single molecules. In Single Molecule Spectroscopy in Chemistry, Physics and Biology. (292-303). (Springer Series in Chemical Physics. 96. (0172-6218)). Springer New York LLC.
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-02597-6_15
Cordes, T., Strackharn, M., Stahl, S.W., Summerer, W., Steinhauer, C., Forthmann, C., Puchner, E.M., Vogelsang, J., Gaub, H.E., Tinnefeld, P. (2010). Resolving single-molecule assembled patterns with superresolution blink-microscopy. Nano Letters. 10 (2), [645-651].
DOI: 10.1021/nl903730r
2009
Gumpp, H., Stahl, S.W., Strackharn, M., Puchner, E.M., Gaub, H.E. (2009). Erratum: "Ultrastable combined atomic force and total internal fluorescence microscope" (Review of Scientific Instruments (2009) 80 (063704)). Review of Scientific Instruments. 80 (10), [109901].
DOI: 10.1063/1.3249564
Puchner, E.M., Gaub, H.E. (2009). Force and function: probing proteins with AFM-based force spectroscopy. Current Opinion in Structural Biology. 19 (5), [605-614].
DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2009.09.005
Kufer, S.K., Strackharn, M., Stahl, S.W., Gumpp, H., Puchner, E.M., Gaub, H.E. (2009). Optically monitoring the mechanical assembly of single molecules. Nature Nanotechnology. 4 (1), [45-49].
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2008.333
Stahl, S.W., Puchner, E.M., Gaub, H.E. (2009). Photothermal cantilever actuation for fast single-molecule force spectroscopy. Review of Scientific Instruments. 80 (7), [073702].
DOI: 10.1063/1.3157466
Gumpp, H., Puchner, E.M., Zimmermann, J.L., Gerland, U., Gaub, H.E., Blank, K. (2009). Triggering enzymatic activity with force. Nano letters. 9 (9), [3290-3295].
DOI: 10.1021/nl9015705
Gumpp, H., Stahl, S.W., Strackharn, M., Puchner, E.M., Gaub, H.E. (2009). Ultrastable combined atomic force and total internal fluorescence microscope. Review of Scientific Instruments. 80 (6), [063704].
DOI: 10.1063/1.3148224
2008
Puchner, E.M., Franzen, G., Gautel, M., Gaub, H.E. (2008). Comparing proteins by their unfolding pattern. Biophysical journal. 95 (1), [426-434].
DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.108.129999
Morfill, J., Neumann, J., Blank, K., Steinbach, U., Puchner, E.M., Gottschalk, K.E., Gaub, H.E. (2008). Force-based Analysis of Multidimensional Energy Landscapes: Application of Dynamic Force Spectroscopy and Steered Molecular Dynamics Simulations to an Antibody Fragment-Peptide Complex. Journal of Molecular Biology. 381 (5), [1253-1266].
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2008.06.065
Puchner, E.M., Alexandrovich, A., Ay, L.K., Hensen, U., Schäfer, L.V., Brandmeier, B., Gräter, F., Grubmüller, H., Gaub, H.E., Gautel, M. (2008). Mechanoenzymatics of titin kinase. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 105 (36), [13385-13390].
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0805034105
Puchner, E.M., Alexandrovich, A., Ay, L.K., Hensen, U., Schäfer, L.V., Brandmeier, B., Gräter, F., Grubmüller, H., Gaub, H.E., Gautel, M. (2008). Mechanoenzymatics of titin kinase (Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2008) 36, 105, (13285-13390) DOI:10.1073/pnas.0805024105). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 105 (52), [21045].
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0810209105
Puchner, E.M., Kufer, S.K., Strackharn, M., Stahl, S.W., Gaub, H.E. (2008). Nanoparticle self-assembly on a DNA-Scaffold Written by Single-Molecule Cut-and-Paste. Nano letters. 8 (11), [3692-3695].
DOI: 10.1021/nl8018627
Kufer, S.K., Puchner, E.M., Gumpp, H., Liedl, T., Gaub, H.E. (2008). Single-molecule cut-and-paste surface assembly. Science. 319 (5863), [594-596].
DOI: 10.1126/science.1151424
- Angel Mancebo, Graduate Student
- Jacob Ritz, Graduate Student
- Yu Xu, Graduate Student
Former Lab Members
- Santosh Adhikari, Graduate Student
- Chiranjib Banerjee, Postdoctoral Researcher
- Lucy Chen, Undergraduate Student
- Luke DeMars, Undergraduate Student
- Christopher Ertsgaard, Undergraduate Student
- Zhixian Han, Undergraduate Student
- Mark Howard, NSF Research Experience for Teachers (RET)
- Jack Lange, Undergraduate Student
- Dushyant Mehra, Postdoctoral Researcher
- Maria Paz Ramirez Lopez, Researcher
- Ragnar Stefansson, Graduate Student
- Elizabeth Smith, Postdoctoral Researcher
- Dong Wang, Undergraduate Student