Welcome to the Biteen Lab

We are achieving real-time, nanoscale insight into microbiology with single-molecule tracking, quantitative microscopy, and super-resolution imaging of living cells.

Research Overview
  • A group of fourteen people pose and smile outdoors on a sunny day, standing and sitting on a paved path with trees, flowers, and buildings in the background.
    Biteen Lab – Fall 2024
  • A dark laboratory setup with green and red laser beams reflecting off mirrors and optical components on a table, creating a network of colorful light paths.
    The optics lab
  • Diagram showing fluorescence microscopy: A) A blurry fluorescent spot (~300 nm); B) enhanced image with sharper (~4–40 nm) localization; C–D) tracking particle positions over time; E) reconstructing a detailed overall image.
    Single-molecule super-resolution imaging
  • A diagram shows a single bacterium with colored squiggly lines inside (left) and a group of bacteria under a microscope (right), separated by a yellow arrow. Black scale bars are present in both images.
    Understanding the human gut microbiome
  • A group of fourteen people pose and smile outdoors in front of greenery and a metal arch. They appear relaxed and happy, much like a team celebrating advances in Super-Resolution Imaging, standing on a paved path bordered by flowers.
    Biteen Lab – Summer 2022
  • Diagram showing a gold nanoparticle with electromagnetic field lines, two wavelength spectra graphs, and illustrations of a dye molecule and a gold nanoparticle labeled Dye and AuNP on a surface.
    Plasmon-coupled polarization and spectrum reshaping
  • Series of scientific images: particle trajectories over heatmaps (left), diagrams illustrating convolution (center), microscope images with labels D=2 and D=8 (bottom center), and particle paths overlaid on a white background with a 500 nm scale bar (right).
    Developing new single-molecule methods
  • A group of 15 people, including adults and children, stand together outside on grass, smiling at the camera with trees in the background.
    Biteen Lab – Winter 2019
  • A 3D scatter plot shows intensity enhancement by x and y position, next to a grayscale spot image. On the right, a diagram illustrates dyes on a nanoparticle, highlighting emission mislocalization in nanometers.
    Quantifying metal nanoantenna mislocalization
  • Two grayscale microscope images of rod-shaped bacteria on the left and one color image on the right showing similar bacteria stained in green, orange, and yellow. All images have scale bars indicating 2 µm.
    Imaging in obligate anaerobic cells
  • A translucent, bean-shaped object with a glowing red spot and a teal ribbon-like extension sits in front of a pattern of illuminated yellow triangles on a dark background.
    Plasmon-enhanced imaging in living cells
  • Diagram and microscopy images show bacterial DNA replication machinery, highlighting proteins (PolC, DnaG, DnaB, DnaE, β-clamp, MutS) and their localization, with heat maps displaying wild-type (WT) protein distributions in cells.
    Measuring DNA replication and repair
  • A screenshot of a virtual meeting with twelve people, each in their own video box, smiling and looking at the camera against various home and office backgrounds.
    Biteen Lab – Summer 2020

Research Themes

Three heatmap images show a bright spot moving inside an oval over time (1.88s, 4.80s, 16.00s). At right, colored lines trace movement in the oval; color bar shows time from blue (0s) to red (15s). Scale bar shown below.

Live-Cell Single-Molecule Tracking in Bacteria

Diagram of a bacterial cell showing a magnified view of the cytoplasm, highlighting a dense, tangled network of black lines with blue ovals and purple dashed segments inside the cell.

Super-Resolving Condensation and Stress Response in Bacteria

Diagram showing RNA, RNA Pol II, Swi6HP1, and Clr4Suv39h proteins interacting with methylated H3K9 on nucleosomes, leading to gene silencing. Arrows and marks indicate molecular interactions and silencing pathway.

Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Dynamics in Yeast

Diagram showing two red helices with arrows on the left, and a complex molecular structure interacting with two yellow spheres emitting red beams on the right.

Nanotechnology and Advanced Optics for Bioimaging

Core Values

The Biteen Lab is committed to defining what it is to be a scientist in the 21st century. The lab is a safe space where members with a diversity of backgrounds and goals develop as scientists and community members. We are committed to establishing a welcoming place for all and a culture in which people from marginalized groups can thrive.

Read More about our Core Values

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