Dr. Tsai is studying a process called translation, by which messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are decoded into proteins. A hallmark of cancer cells is distorted patterns of protein production, leading to uncontrolled growth and invasive behavior. He is using novel microscope technology to image live cells in real-time and developing techniques to image individual protein molecules during their synthesis, thereby linking the time, location and amount of protein production to individual mRNAs.
Damon Runyon Researchers
Meet Our Scientists
Albert Tsai, PhD
Project title: "Single-molecule imaging of transcription factors binding dynamics in Drosophila embryos"
Institution: HHMI Janelia Research Campus
Award Program: Fellow
Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): Robert H. Singer, PhD
Cancer Type: All Cancers
Research Area: Biophysics
