Sam Aytekin

PhD @KULeuven / Mechanobiology + Microscopy;
FRET-based tension probes
DNA-Hairpin force sensors
Biomimetic hydrogels
Optogenetics
DNA-PAINT
STED
TFM

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

The scientific community is growing strong in BlueSky.
Find me and let’s connect! 🦋
https://t.co/qdHC9LzYs4

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

One major drawback of DNA force sensors is their super short lifetime—making them rather unsuitable for most bio studies. Huge congrats (and thanks) to @IsaacLiLab for solving one more problem for the field! Looks like it’s time to image some integrin forces 😎

[Isaac Li @IsaacLiLab]

Latest from the lab:🧬Decoy DNA🧬can extend the lifetime of DNA-based tension probes >24h by outcompeting DNases and preserving signal integrity in live-cell tension imaging - simple, general strategy for robust mechanobiology in DNase-rich environments. https://t.co/k8QmRYAIio

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

Hydrogels are essential in mechanobiology—and PIC is a game changer. Fully synthetic yet highly biomimetic, PIC opens new doors for 3D cell culture. Huge congrats to Hongbo Yuan, Kouwer Lab & @Rocha_Lab on this detailed Nature Protocols guide! 👏📜 https://t.co/lTcSN1lC4h

[Jelle Hendrix @prof_jelle]

Me: I see lines in my 🔬 confocal images! 💊 Doctor: please read this paper! https://t.co/axwT7hgr8m

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

What a view for science! ☀️⛰️
#GRC on #Fibronectin #Integrins and Related Molecules is going strong at Renaissance Tuscany with a beautiful backdrop. I am happy to share my work on focal adhesion mechanics in my first-time Gordon conference with the brightest minds in the field.

[Xavier Trepat @XavierTrepat]

New paper from the lab🎈. Introducing Micro Immune Response On-chip (MIRO), a device that replicates tumors and their microenvironment to better understand responses to immunotherapies (cyan=immune cells, red=cancer, green=CAFs). @IBECBarcelona

[alfredosciortino @alf_fonsi]

New preprint 🔥 my PhD swan song, with @BauschLab @hamfaizi @PVlahovska @HaganLab (+ Matt, Sarvesh Layne & Aparna)
https://t.co/uVaq6sgNsq
We put a microtubules+kinesin gel inside a GUV and... this happens: crazy fluctuations of a "cell" induced by a "minimal cytoskeleton"!

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

We did it! 💪 After years of fiddling with gels, lasers, cells, and infinite lines of custom codes, our first preprint is out! We integrated TFM & FRET-based tension probes into one workflow. 🔬 Already 400 downloads and I’m only mildly panicking 😅 https://t.co/hAQicfoLHU

[Boris Louis @boris_p_louis]

🔧 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐞 – 𝐃𝐚𝐲 #𝟐 🔬🧪
@HofkensLab
✅ First, we used the reference laser to project a perfect vertical line through the center of the objective holder and marked a target on the ceiling for future alignments
#Optics #Microscopy

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

These are exited times to be in. @FlimLabs creates portable and affordable FLIM devices and easy-to-use Phasor-FLIM analysis tools, turning your backyard microscopy to a cutting-edge technology. Really nice!

[FLIM LABS @FlimLabs]

🔬 Our #FLIM upgrade for the #NikonAX #Microscope works wonders – check it out! 👇

@NikonInst @alvcrevenna @EMBLRome #optics #fluorecencelifetime #photonics
Music "Temperatures Rising" by Lovefine
URL: https://t.co/wJa2lR0gZR

[Rocha Lab @Rocha_Lab]

🔬 How does tumor stiffness affect cancer? Our latest research shows that stiffer colorectal tumors release proteins that fuel cancer cell migration and blood vessel formation, driving more aggressive tumor behavior. https://t.co/vNFUpKHscO

[Rocha Lab @Rocha_Lab]

🔬 Proud to share our protocol for creating PAAm hydrogels—your new go-to method for studying mechanotransduction! 💥 Customizable, efficient, and perfect for revealing how cells respond to mechanical forces. #Hydrogels #Mechanobiology

https://t.co/wvR5GoWWJN

[Rocha Lab @Rocha_Lab]

🎉Celebrating 5 incredible years with an unstoppable team! 🚀 A huge THANK YOU to everyone who’s been a part of this journey —your hard work and passion have shaped our success. I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved together, and I can’t wait for what’s next! Let’s keep going!💪

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

Congratulations to my dear colleague and partner in crime Sarah Vorsselmans for yet another win for FRET-based molecular tension probes. Well deserved @Sarah_baaah !👏👏👏

[Rocha Lab @Rocha_Lab]

Thanks to the support of the Royal Belgian Society for Microscopy, we were able to hand out some awards on our #feeltheforce summer school.🏆 Greta walked away with the award for the best talk, while @Sarah_baaah and Konstantinos shared the prize for the best poster.👏 Congrats!

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

Ready for the next round? #feeltheforce #proudofPI

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

Even when you feel dead inside, remember the Force is strong! "As for our ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is." See you in next #feeltheforce summer school! (and I can't believe I am quoting SW, but there we go...)

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

As the #feeltheforce summer school '23 coming to an end, I would like to thank every participant, speaker and organizer to make this beautiful event possible. We are proud!

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

In today's #feeltheforce FRET-FLIM workshop, vinculin force sensors are imaged by Leica SP8 FALCON module, and the subsequent analysis is carried out by Phasor-FLIM approach using open access PAM software. Well done Sarah!

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

Three little FRETters. The code flows from Laurens Kimps to me and from me to Sarah Vorsselmans. See you in #feeltheforce workshop sessions!

[Sam Aytekin @SamAytekin]

It was a joy to deliver an insight into FRET-based molecular tension probes and DNA-hairpin force sensors in #feeltheforce summer school 23'.