Cohen

Adam Cohen

Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and of Physics

The Cohen Lab develops physical tools to study molecules, cells, and organisms.  They work on imaging voltage in brains, hearts, embryos, and microorganisms.  They are working to develop tools to visualize the spatial structure of memories

Harvard University
Mallikcrodt Building, Room 115
12 Oxford St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Tel: 617-496-9466
Email: cohen@chemistry.harvard.edu

Website:

http://cohenweb.rc.fas.harvard.edu/
Lab Size: Between 10 and 15

Summary

My lab develops physical tools to study molecules, cells and organisms.  We apply these tools to make new measurements.  The work in the lab combines molecular and cell biology, instrumentation development, and extensive computation and numerical simulations.

    Much of the effort focuses on tools for studying the brain.  We developed fluorescent reporters and advanced imaging systems to measure membrane voltage.  We use these tools to study neural information processing in the nervous systems of mice and zebrafish.  We are working to develop tools to visualize the physical structures of memories.

    We also study the role of electrical and mechanical signaling in systems where these forces are little understood: in bacteria, in developing embryos, and in non-neuronal cells throughout the body.  

Publications

Adam, Yoav, et al. "Voltage imaging and optogenetics reveal behaviour-dependent changes in hippocampal dynamics." Nature 569.7756 (2019): 413. 

Shi, Zheng, et al. "Cell membranes resist flow." Cell 175.7 (2018): 1769-1779.

Fan, Linlin Z., et al. "All-optical synaptic electrophysiology probes mechanism of ketamine-induced disinhibition." Nature Methods 15.10 (2018): 823.

Hochbaum, Daniel R., et al. "All-optical electrophysiology in mammalian neurons using engineered microbial rhodopsins." Nature Methods 11.8 (2014): 825. 

Kralj, Joel M., et al. "Electrical spiking in Escherichia coli probed with a fluorescent voltage-indicating protein." Science 333.6040 (2011): 345-348.  

Tang, Yiqiao, and Adam E. Cohen. "Enhanced enantioselectivity in excitation of chiral molecules by superchiral light." Science 332.6027 (2011): 333-336.