LUMICKS

lumicks.comLUMICKS UniversityYour gateway to mastering single-molecule experiments

20 Jan

We are dedicated to making sure every LUMICKS user has the tools they need to succeed. That’s why we created LUMICKS University, your free, all-in-one gateway to mastering single-molecule experiments. Join the 63% of C-Trap users who are already there: www.lumicks.com/documentatio...

pubs.acs.orgSmall Molecule Activators of Protein Phosphatase 2A Exert Global Stabilizing Effects on the Scaffold PR65Abstract. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), an important therapeutic target, comprises scaffold subunit PR65 composed of 15 HEAT (Huntingtin/Elongation/A-subu

Bulk measurements can hide how proteins fold and misfold upon binding of drug molecule. With C-Trap, Sander Tans and collaborators could see protein misfolding, measure stabilization and distinguish drug effects one molecule at a time! 🎉 Congrats to the authors! 👇 pubs.acs.org/jaaucr/artic...

LUMICKS reposted

Alessandro Borsellini

@aleborsellini.bsky.social

Look at what happens to the DNA (@lumicks.bsky.social) when condensin II is activated! This is a video from our work in the Vannini Lab @alessandrovannini.bsky.social at @humantechnopole.bsky.social. You can read more about it in our publication that came out yesterday rdcu.be/vt7f8W79Whca!

ashpublications.orgHarnessing the CD2 axis to broaden and enhance the efficacy of CAR T-cell therapiesKey PointsCD2 is a viable target for CAR T-cell immunotherapy for T-cell malignancies, but CD2 deletion in CAR T cells can lead to dysfunction.A novel PD-1

How strongly a CAR-T cell binds a cancer cell matters. 🔬 New @ash.hematology.org research from @marcoruella.bsky.social and colleagues uses #CellAvidity to explore this connection and its impact on CAR-T function. Read more: ashpublications.org/blood/articl...

🎯 Understanding immune engagement starts with measuring the right interactions. Prof. Thales Papagiannakopoulos will talk about his @nature.com research about how #CellAvidity helped his team study tumor escape. 👉Register to his webinar now web.lumicks.com/l/970813/202...

Save the date for the SMBio symposium at University College London, 19–20 May 2027! Organized by Dr. Graeme King with LUMICKS, featuring keynotes from Dame Amanda Fisher, Prof. Sheena Radford (@radford-lab.bsky.social), and Dr. Fernando Moreno. Set an alert to get first notice: tally.so/r/lbJ02B

🔥Join Prof. Thales Papagiannakopoulos (Salk Institute) to explore how the ATF4–LCN2 axis suppresses anti-cancer immunity in our upcoming #webinar! 🔥 Discover how they leveraged Cell Avidity to quantify interaction strengths and unlock new immunotherapy pathways. 📅 👉 web.lumicks.com/l/970813/202...

lumicks.com2026 SITC Cell Avidity Travel Award | LUMICKS Company NewsJul 27, 2026 | 2026 SITC Cell Avidity Travel Award | Click to read more...

21 Sept

⏰ September is almost over, and the deadline is approaching! Presenting Cell Avidity research at #SITC2026? Apply for the LUMICKS Cell Avidity Travel Award and receive a $500 travel grant! Applications close September 30. Apply now 👉 www.lumicks.com/news/2026-si...

11 Sept

⏰ Last call! Only a weekend left! Dr. Ahmed Zakaria Gad (Baylor College of Medicine) will share how z-Movi measuring Cell Avidity reveals why CD28- and 4-1BB-based CAR T cells behave differently, and how this could help predict CAR T-cell performance earlier in development. Register in comment👇

web.lumicks.comLive Webinar: The CAR Immune Synapse Interactome: How Membrane Organization Shapes CAR T–Tumor Cell Interactions | Ahmed Zakaria Gad, PhDSep 14, 2026 | Ahmed Zakaria Gad, PhD presents The CAR Immune Synapse Interactome: How Membrane Organization Shapes CAR T–Tumor Cell Interactions

11 Sept

👉 Register now: web.lumicks.com/l/970813/202...

21 Aug

A CAR-T cell meeting a tumor cell isn't a simple lock-and-key event: it's a handshake. Dr. Ahmed Zakaria Gad (Baylor College of Medicine) will share how measuring Cell Avidity reveals different CAR-T strategies, and why it's key to designing better cell therapies. 👉 web.lumicks.com/l/970813/202...

28 July

Going to #SITC2026? Win a $500 travel award from LUMICKS! Apply before Sep 30, 2026: www.lumicks.com/news/2026-si... See you at Phoenix this November and let’s talk about #CellAvidity and #Immunotherapy!

nature.comCondensin I but not Condensin II is crucial for mitotic chromosome mechanics - Nature CommunicationsDuring mitosis, chromosomes undergo a dramatic metamorphosis. Here, the authors show that Condensin I, but not Condensin II, is important for establishing chromosome stiffness and elasticity, as well ...

24 July

🧬 Congratulations to the labs of Gijs Wuite and Ian Hickson on their @natcomms.nature.com paper! With C-Trap, they directly stretched native human mitotic chromosomes and challenged traditional view of condensin! Kudos to all authors! 📖 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

14 July

🎓 Discover how to use *Q-Trap mode* to expand your possibilities on the C-Trap. Our new guide explains differences with dual-trap mode, how to switch between configs, what to consider for force detection, calibration & complex assays like DNA braiding and multi-tether experiments: bit.ly/3SE17cE

9 July

Recent publication with @gwuite.bsky.social, @barisiclab.bsky.social and Ian Hickson a.o., where the big finding is in the titel: Condensin I but not Condensin II is crucial for mitotic chromosome mechanics. Congratulations to the contributors! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

9 July

不只是“看见” #染色体，你能真正测量它在 #细胞分裂中的“力”吗？本次中文Webinar中，刘朝伟博士（ Gijs Wuite 实验室，阿姆斯特丹自由大学）将讲解他如何使用 C-Trap： ✔ 在皮牛顿尺度直接测量 #单个分子力 ✔ 用 #光镊操控单个染色体 ✔ 解码 #有丝分裂背后的力学机制 👉 从“观察”到“证明机制”的关键一步： www.lumicks.com/event/webina...

lumicks.comWatch: Avidity and functional characterization of CD19/BCMA dual-targeting CAR-T cell designs in NHL - LUMICKSSpeaker: Alba Rodríguez Garcia, PhD, . In this webinar, we discuss Avidity and functional characterization of CD19/BCMA dual-targeting CAR-T cell designs in NHL. Category: Cell Therapy

8 July

Missed our webinar with Dr. Alba Rodríguez Garcia? Now available on-demand 🎥 Learn how Cell Avidity, as a new parameter, drives CAR-T performance, especially when targets are low. Dual CD19/BCMA CAR-T selected is now in phase I clinical trial: lumicks.com/webinars/avi...

cell.comTuning the sensitivity of mechanosensory receptors through histidine scanningHistidine scanning represents a broadly applicable technique for the identification of critical interaction sites within TCRs and other mechanosensory receptors to enhance receptor signaling strength ...

1 July

New in #Cell (Xiang Zhao group, SIBCB): The C-Trap measured #catchbonds directly, enabling engineered #TCRs to clear tumors in vivo without off-target toxicity. Great example for all mechanosensory systems! Congrats to all the authors! 🎉 Read the publication: www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...

26 June

Cell therapy researchers: in 5 days ⏰ Dr. Alba Rodríguez Garcia shares her Phase I CAR-T study in #NHL: highlighting Cell Avidity as a key driver of performance. Stronger interactions → better function, even at low antigen levels 👉 Join live webinar: web.lumicks.com/l/970813/202...

cell.comFerritin aggregation cell engager for CAR T avidity engineering against refractory leukemiasLi et al. developed a ferritin aggregation cell engager that helps CAR T cells better recognize and attack leukemia cells without re-engineering the CAR itself. This versatile platform overcomes antig...

26 June

Can we overcome CAR-T resistance without redesigning the CAR? A new study in #Cell proves it comes down to Cell Avidity. Using the #lumicks z-Movi, researchers showed how restoring cell-to-cell binding strength beats antigen escape. If you're in cell therapy, read www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...

store.lumicks.comLumidyne Advanced Fluorophore Technologies - Discount CodeGet 10% discount on Lumidyne advanced fluorophore dyes for optical tweezers (C-Trap) experiments. via the LUMICKS store. Photostable and self-healing.

24 June

What could you uncover if your fluorophore didn’t blink or bleach? Lumidyne fluorophores feature a built-in self-healing design that reduces blinking and photobleaching for stable, bright and extended fluorescence lifetimes. Read more about this promotion: store.lumicks.com/product/lumi...

18 June

Excited to have Dr. Alba Rodríguez Garcia share her preclinical study of a now-in-Phase I CAR-T therapy in our upcoming webinar! 🔬 In her work, co-transduced CD19/BCMA CAR-T cells demonstrated superior avidity and functional performance. 👉 Learn more and register: web.lumicks.com/l/970813/202...

web.lumicks.comLive Webinar: Avidity and functional characterization of CD19/BCMA dual-targeting CAR-T cell designs in NHL | Alba Rodríguez Garcia, PhDJul 01, 2026 | Alba Rodríguez Garcia, PhD presents Avidity and functional characterization of CD19/BCMA dual-targeting CAR-T cell designs in NHL

12 June

How do CAR-T cells keep working when targets weaken? Join our upcoming webinar to hear Dr. Alba Rodríguez Garcia, PhD highlights the role of cell avidity, not just binding, but functional strength under real conditions. 👉 web.lumicks.com/l/970813/202...

11 June

Subtle differences in binding location, dynamics, and off-target behavior in DNA-protein interactions are difficult to resolve traditionally. A recent @nature.com publication from David Ruedalab highlights C-Trap to quickly distinguish off-target activity of Cas9 from its high-fidelity variants 👇

nature.comStructural basis of supercoiling-induced CRISPR–Cas9 off-target activity - NatureCas9 structures explain topology sensing and off-target activation.

11 June

If your work involves DNA-binding proteins, this kind of sensitivity and speed could significantly accelerate your research! Read the paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

9 June

LUMICKS is excited to sponsor and attend Machines on Genes in Crete June 8-11. Connect with us to explore real-time, single-molecule insights with the C-Trap! #BiochemEvent @biochemsoc.bsky.social

9 June

Demo: many C-Trap users want to do cell mechanobiology experiments on the C-Trap. Our scientists recorded this video showing what a live cell membrane pulling experiment looks like on the C-Trap. Details of the workflow and key highlights are in the video captions: www.lumicks.com/university/v...

academic.oup.comA dynamic search mechanism enables APE1 to identify AP-sites in DNAAbstract. Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites are among the most frequent DNA lesions, arising thousands of times per cell each day. These lesions threaten ge

8 June

Congratulations to all the authors!🎉

Bret Freudenthal@freudlab.bsky.social

How does a DNA repair enzyme find a needle in a haystack? 🧬 Our latest paper in NAR, led by the one and only C-trap queen Kaitlin Dehart, uses single-molecule imaging to watch APE1 scan DNA and lock onto AP-sites. @lumicks.bsky.social academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

1 June

Video guide for advanced features of the bright-field camera: 👉 How to record the bright-field camera images along with the matching timeline data. 👉 How to crop the camera field of view, and increase the camera framerate. www.lumicks.com/university/v...

academic.oup.comOT-Curtains: an approach for studying protein interactions with DNA ends using optical tweezers and confocal fluorescence microscopyAbstract. DNA ends generated by double-strand breaks are vulnerable intermediates that must be rapidly recognized, protected, and resolved to preserve geno

29 May

A new paper in @narjournal.bsky.social from the team of Fernando Moreno Herrero introduces OT-Curtains using the C-Trap, a massive upgrade from traditional DNA curtains: 1️⃣Zero Surface Artifacts 2️⃣Lower Force Regimes 3️⃣Dynamic Control Congrats to the authors! 🎉 👉Read: academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

22 May

An amazing experience! It was truly great to participate and co-organize the 3rd UK & Ireland SMBio symposium in Sheffield this week. Thanks to all 🙏 invited speakers: @gwuite.bsky.social,@slfort.bsky.social, @jwelburn.bsky.social, @akellett.bsky.social, @michellepeckham.bsky.social & Aakash Basu

22 May

Very important to highlight: thank you for the team work to the @sheffielduni.bsky.social power team: @mattdnewton.bsky.social, @alicepyne.bsky.social and Ruby Peters.

20 May

Nuclear Extracts: we recently published an article in LUMICKS University introducing the prep and use of nuclear extracts for DNA-protein interaction experiments on the C-Trap. From extraction to assessment of fraction purity, to labelling and dilution on the C-Trap: www.lumicks.com/university/a...

19 May

LUMICKS is a proud sponsor of the BPS Canada Meeting in Winnipeg. Meet Paul and Edwin at the conference between today and Thursday 👋

1 May

Joyous that a new Q‑Trap is now live at the University of Leicester, following the successful completion of the training and a well‑attended seminar for the wider scientific community. Hosted by Prof. Andrew Hudson, the installation was made possible through BBSRC funding. Happy Friday! 🧬

nature.comTuning CAR-T cells by targeting cancer-associated glycan in pancreatic cancer - Nature CommunicationsComponents of the glycocalyx have been shown to impair immune cell functions, including of CAR-T cells. Here the authors show that CAR-T cell mediated cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer models can be e...

30 Apr

We are thrilled to celebrate the recent publication from the Marcela Maus lab, showcasing a breakthrough in overcoming the physical barriers of #solidtumors. By measuring 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆, their work on "glycobridges" is a game-changer for CAR-T therapy. 🎉 👉 Read: nature.com/articles/s41...

Throughout the design process, 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆 was the key metric for success: - Provided direct quantitative data of the dual-antigen interaction - Enabled the team to select the best-performing constructs based on binding strength - Balanced high tumor-killing efficacy with reduced off-target effects

30 Apr

As the authors highlight, "Understanding how binding parameters influence CAR activation will be important for further optimizing modular CAR-T systems." 👉 Read the publication: nature.com/articles/s41... 👉Watch the webinar by first author Dr. Sangwoo (Steven) Park: lumicks.com/webinars/tun...

Solid tumors often shield themselves with a glycocalyx ,a dense sugar layer that prevents immune cells from binding. By adding a secondary binder, researchers from the Maus Lab leverage this barrier in CAR-T cells to create stronger synapses and more effective tumor killing.

28 Apr

Cool recent paper by Huan-Xiang Zhou (Uni of Illinois, Chicago) in PNAS with many prime examples of the C-Trap applied to the (fascinating) world of protein-DNA condensates: www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...

cell.comMechanisms of HSV-1 helicase-primase inhibition and replication fork complex assemblyCryo-EM structures of HSV-1 helicase-primase and replication fork complexes reveal mechanisms of drug inhibition, features that explain drug selectivity, and the molecular basis of replication fork co...

21 Apr

For this recent Cell publication, Joseph Loparo (Harvard Medical School) and team studied DNA replication in Herpes Simplex Virus type 1, specifically how a helicase-primase and DNA pol coordinate at the replication fork, tracking helicase activity in real-time with the C-Trap: bit.ly/3QoBHyD

pubs.acs.orgSingle Molecule Force Measurements Reveal Energy Stabilization of Theophylline Aptamer RNA Switch Required for Gene ControlRNA aptamers play essential roles in gene regulation, sensing, and therapeutics, relying on ligand-induced kinetic changes for function. The theophylline aptamer has been engineered to regulate synthe...

👏 Congrats to the team of Maria Kamenetska (Boston University) for their latest publication on RNA aptamers: pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....

nature.comStructural basis of supercoiling-induced CRISPR–Cas9 off-target activity - NatureCas9 structures explain topology sensing and off-target activation.

A new #Nature study from the Rueda and @alicepyne.bsky.social labs identifies the molecular mechanism of DNA supercoiling in CRISPR–Cas9 off-target activity. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

By using the LUMICKS C-Trap, the team was able to: -Apply real-world mechanical stress to individual DNA molecules. -Capture the "HNH domain" toggling into an active state in real-time. -Track the real-time structural movements of the Cas9 protein with smFRET

This shift from static imaging to dynamic, tension-controlled observation is a game-changer for high-fidelity enzyme design. Congrats to the authors! 👏 Curious about how the C-Trap can elevate your research? Let’s talk! #CRISPR #Cas9 #SingleMolecule #GeneEditing

24 Mar

Last call to join Dr. Xiaolan Zhao (MSKCC) to witness the frontier of DNA biology. You can’t miss this chance to see how the LUMICKS C-Trap is enabling her team at MSKCC to decode the "how" behind the Smc5/6 complex. Secure your spot before we go live: web.lumicks.com/l/970813/202...

web.lumicks.comLive Webinar: Molecular determinants of Smc5/6 association with DNA junctions | Xiaolan ZhaoMar 26, 2026 | Xiaolan Zhao presents Molecular determinants of Smc5/6 association with DNA junctions

19 Mar

The next frontier of DNA biology isn't just knowing what happens, but how it happens in motion. The C-Trap has enabled Dr. Xiaolan Zhao's team at MSKCC to push the boundaries of discovery, capturing the mechanical nuances of the Smc5/6 complex at ssDNA gaps. Join: web.lumicks.com/l/970813/202...

nature.comTIGIT disruption rescues the antitumor activity of low avidity TCR-engineered T cells by increasing TCR signal strength - Nature CommunicationsAnti-tumor functions of low-avidity T cells are often suboptimal. Here the authors show that genetic disruption of TIGIT in TCR-engineered T cells enhances their anti-tumor activity against pancreatic...

12 Mar

New in NatComms: Cell Avidity is the "success metric" in T-cell therapy. Traditional "low-avidity" T-cells are often too weak to kill solid tumors. The team of Chiara Bonini knocked out TIGIT to make them 'high-avidity' potent cancer killers. Congrats to the authors! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

9 Mar

How do you move from static DNA models to real-time mechanics? Join our next webinar to see how the team of Dr. Xiaolan Zhao at MSKCC uses the LUMICKS C-Trap to decode the molecular determinants of Smc5/6 association with DNA junctions. 🔗 web.lumicks.com/l/970813/202...

lumicks.comSMBio 2026 Sheffield - Symposium - LUMICKSWe are pleased to announce the SMBio26, the third UK-Ireland symposium focusing on single-molecule research! Featuring keynotes, talks, posters and discussions, this 2-day event aims to bring together...

27 Feb

Last call! 🔔 Would you like to be considered for a poster presentation or a short talk during the SMBio 2026 Sheffield? Today's the last day to sign up! Join the biggest UK gathering of this type yet: www.lumicks.com/event/sympos...