Ali Maximilian Erturk
@erturklab.bsky.social
AI and tissue clearing-based technologies for health.
Director at Helmholtz Munich, Full professor at LMU Munich, and CEO of Deep Piction (@deeppiction.bsky.social)
We’re🇩🇪🇹🇷🇭🇷🇨🇳🇮🇹🇮🇳🇸🇮🇴🇲🇨🇱🇭🇺🇧🇬🇺🇦🇷🇴🇦🇹🇹🇼🏳🌈
Director at Helmholtz Munich, Full professor at LMU Munich, and CEO of Deep Piction (@deeppiction.bsky.social)
We’re🇩🇪🇹🇷🇭🇷🇨🇳🇮🇹🇮🇳🇸🇮🇴🇲🇨🇱🇭🇺🇧🇬🇺🇦🇷🇴🇦🇹🇹🇼🏳🌈
Congratulations to our scientist, Laurent Simons, for earning his PhD in quantum physics at just 15—an exceptional achievement.
In our lab, Laurent’s work focuses on in silico biology to accelerate treatment of devastating diseases. We’re thrilled to have him on the team.
In our lab, Laurent’s work focuses on in silico biology to accelerate treatment of devastating diseases. We’re thrilled to have him on the team.
December 8, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Congratulations to our scientist, Laurent Simons, for earning his PhD in quantum physics at just 15—an exceptional achievement.
In our lab, Laurent’s work focuses on in silico biology to accelerate treatment of devastating diseases. We’re thrilled to have him on the team.
In our lab, Laurent’s work focuses on in silico biology to accelerate treatment of devastating diseases. We’re thrilled to have him on the team.
7) 🧩 Main finding 4. Plug-and-play targeting: LipiGo’s DNA handles act as modular building blocks. Conjugating a white adipocyte–specific aptamer enabled tissue-specific mRNA delivery with enhanced uptake in white adipocytes 🎯
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
7) 🧩 Main finding 4. Plug-and-play targeting: LipiGo’s DNA handles act as modular building blocks. Conjugating a white adipocyte–specific aptamer enabled tissue-specific mRNA delivery with enhanced uptake in white adipocytes 🎯
6) 🧩 Main finding 3. LipiGo redirected mRNA translation from the liver to lymphoid organs. EGFP expression was strong in spleen, lymph nodes & thymus, while liver signal was minimal. Critically, more CD45⁺ immune cells expressed protein compared to standard LNPs.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
6) 🧩 Main finding 3. LipiGo redirected mRNA translation from the liver to lymphoid organs. EGFP expression was strong in spleen, lymph nodes & thymus, while liver signal was minimal. Critically, more CD45⁺ immune cells expressed protein compared to standard LNPs.
5 🧩 Main finding 2. LipiGo boosts uptake in key immune cell populations. Compared to conventional lipid nanoparticles, it shows stronger delivery to macrophages, dendritic cells & follicular DCs — crucial gatekeepers for immune responses.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
5 🧩 Main finding 2. LipiGo boosts uptake in key immune cell populations. Compared to conventional lipid nanoparticles, it shows stronger delivery to macrophages, dendritic cells & follicular DCs — crucial gatekeepers for immune responses.
4 ➡️ Main finding 1. DNA handles protruding from LipiGo enabled functional liver detargeting and strong spleen accumulation. Unlike conventional LNPs that mainly go to the liver, LipiGo redirects mRNA delivery to lymphoid organs.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
4 ➡️ Main finding 1. DNA handles protruding from LipiGo enabled functional liver detargeting and strong spleen accumulation. Unlike conventional LNPs that mainly go to the liver, LipiGo redirects mRNA delivery to lymphoid organs.
3 🔍 Approach: We systemically injected LipiGo and applied:
• Whole-body clearing
• Light-sheet microscopy
• AI-based single-cell mapping
This allowed us to track every delivery event across the entire mouse body.
• Whole-body clearing
• Light-sheet microscopy
• AI-based single-cell mapping
This allowed us to track every delivery event across the entire mouse body.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
3 🔍 Approach: We systemically injected LipiGo and applied:
• Whole-body clearing
• Light-sheet microscopy
• AI-based single-cell mapping
This allowed us to track every delivery event across the entire mouse body.
• Whole-body clearing
• Light-sheet microscopy
• AI-based single-cell mapping
This allowed us to track every delivery event across the entire mouse body.
2 🧾 Summary: By integrating DNA handles directly into the nanoparticle structure, LipiGo changes its organ tropism, detargets the liver, and enhances delivery to immune tissues.
This improves the effect of active cell–targeting ligands and enables a design loop based on real in vivo data.
This improves the effect of active cell–targeting ligands and enables a design loop based on real in vivo data.
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
2 🧾 Summary: By integrating DNA handles directly into the nanoparticle structure, LipiGo changes its organ tropism, detargets the liver, and enhances delivery to immune tissues.
This improves the effect of active cell–targeting ligands and enables a design loop based on real in vivo data.
This improves the effect of active cell–targeting ligands and enables a design loop based on real in vivo data.
We are introducing LipiGo 🤗
A programmable DNA–lipid nanocarrier 🧬 with built-in targeting logic. It de-targets the liver and redirects mRNA delivery into lymphoid organs, enhancing therapies requiring the immune system. Precision delivery at the cell level isn't far! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A programmable DNA–lipid nanocarrier 🧬 with built-in targeting logic. It de-targets the liver and redirects mRNA delivery into lymphoid organs, enhancing therapies requiring the immune system. Precision delivery at the cell level isn't far! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
We are introducing LipiGo 🤗
A programmable DNA–lipid nanocarrier 🧬 with built-in targeting logic. It de-targets the liver and redirects mRNA delivery into lymphoid organs, enhancing therapies requiring the immune system. Precision delivery at the cell level isn't far! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A programmable DNA–lipid nanocarrier 🧬 with built-in targeting logic. It de-targets the liver and redirects mRNA delivery into lymphoid organs, enhancing therapies requiring the immune system. Precision delivery at the cell level isn't far! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Your Brilliant Idea Won't Get You a PI Position
As scientists, we are passionate about our research and great ideas. But this is a dream that rarely gets you hired.
1/9
As scientists, we are passionate about our research and great ideas. But this is a dream that rarely gets you hired.
1/9
September 17, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Your Brilliant Idea Won't Get You a PI Position
As scientists, we are passionate about our research and great ideas. But this is a dream that rarely gets you hired.
1/9
As scientists, we are passionate about our research and great ideas. But this is a dream that rarely gets you hired.
1/9
We discovered that the skull bone marrow has direct connections to the brain surface & mirrors brain inflammation, making it a new site for diagnosing & monitoring brain pathologies.
Kolabas…Ertürk, Cell (2023):
www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S00...
Our Tech: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
bit.ly/3PQuymm
Kolabas…Ertürk, Cell (2023):
www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S00...
Our Tech: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
bit.ly/3PQuymm
August 13, 2025 at 11:04 AM
We discovered that the skull bone marrow has direct connections to the brain surface & mirrors brain inflammation, making it a new site for diagnosing & monitoring brain pathologies.
Kolabas…Ertürk, Cell (2023):
www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S00...
Our Tech: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
bit.ly/3PQuymm
Kolabas…Ertürk, Cell (2023):
www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S00...
Our Tech: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
bit.ly/3PQuymm
We developed MouseMapper AI, a deep learning ensemble for the analysis of whole-body systems, including the nervous and immune systems, to map disease/drug perturbations tissue by tissue, organ by organ, at the cellular level in 3D.
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
July 30, 2025 at 9:15 PM
We developed MouseMapper AI, a deep learning ensemble for the analysis of whole-body systems, including the nervous and immune systems, to map disease/drug perturbations tissue by tissue, organ by organ, at the cellular level in 3D.
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Our Nature Biotech paper hit 225K+ accesses in 3 months! 🤩
7 first authors from computer science, biology & chemistry prove that great science is teamwork. We combined AI & imaging to visualize single cells across whole organisms.
Team synergy > individual brilliance. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
7 first authors from computer science, biology & chemistry prove that great science is teamwork. We combined AI & imaging to visualize single cells across whole organisms.
Team synergy > individual brilliance. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
April 22, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Our Nature Biotech paper hit 225K+ accesses in 3 months! 🤩
7 first authors from computer science, biology & chemistry prove that great science is teamwork. We combined AI & imaging to visualize single cells across whole organisms.
Team synergy > individual brilliance. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
7 first authors from computer science, biology & chemistry prove that great science is teamwork. We combined AI & imaging to visualize single cells across whole organisms.
Team synergy > individual brilliance. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Excited to share our latest work with Denali Therapeutics as Deep Piction. Using our proprietary clearing & imaging, we’ve mapped the full targeting profile of brain-penetrating transport vehicles (ATVs) in both whole mouse bodies and monkey brains. nature.com/articles/s41...
February 26, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Excited to share our latest work with Denali Therapeutics as Deep Piction. Using our proprietary clearing & imaging, we’ve mapped the full targeting profile of brain-penetrating transport vehicles (ATVs) in both whole mouse bodies and monkey brains. nature.com/articles/s41...
See our recent @naturebiotech.bsky.social study SCP-Nano in flow! Mapping LNPs, AAVs, and DNA nanostructures to track targeting & unseen toxicity before clinical trials 🤩. Already >190K access, the most in recent years! 👇🏼 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 30, 2025 at 4:43 PM
See our recent @naturebiotech.bsky.social study SCP-Nano in flow! Mapping LNPs, AAVs, and DNA nanostructures to track targeting & unseen toxicity before clinical trials 🤩. Already >190K access, the most in recent years! 👇🏼 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
10/n
Application 5:
Retro-AAV targets neurons & axons but unexpectedly labels adipocytes body-wide. SCP-Nano uncovers hidden tropisms, enhancing understanding.
Application 5:
Retro-AAV targets neurons & axons but unexpectedly labels adipocytes body-wide. SCP-Nano uncovers hidden tropisms, enhancing understanding.
January 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
10/n
Application 5:
Retro-AAV targets neurons & axons but unexpectedly labels adipocytes body-wide. SCP-Nano uncovers hidden tropisms, enhancing understanding.
Application 5:
Retro-AAV targets neurons & axons but unexpectedly labels adipocytes body-wide. SCP-Nano uncovers hidden tropisms, enhancing understanding.
9/n
Application 4:
PHP.eB-AAV mainly targets the brain & spinal cord. SCP-Nano unveiled unexpected lymph node tropism, highlighting its sensitivity.
Application 4:
PHP.eB-AAV mainly targets the brain & spinal cord. SCP-Nano unveiled unexpected lymph node tropism, highlighting its sensitivity.
January 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
9/n
Application 4:
PHP.eB-AAV mainly targets the brain & spinal cord. SCP-Nano unveiled unexpected lymph node tropism, highlighting its sensitivity.
Application 4:
PHP.eB-AAV mainly targets the brain & spinal cord. SCP-Nano unveiled unexpected lymph node tropism, highlighting its sensitivity.
8/n
Application 3:
Unconjugated DNA origami primarily targets the liver. SCP-Nano quantified biodistribution with unmatched resolution, aiding nanocarrier optimization.
Application 3:
Unconjugated DNA origami primarily targets the liver. SCP-Nano quantified biodistribution with unmatched resolution, aiding nanocarrier optimization.
January 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
8/n
Application 3:
Unconjugated DNA origami primarily targets the liver. SCP-Nano quantified biodistribution with unmatched resolution, aiding nanocarrier optimization.
Application 3:
Unconjugated DNA origami primarily targets the liver. SCP-Nano quantified biodistribution with unmatched resolution, aiding nanocarrier optimization.
7/n
Application 2:
Detect subtle off-target effects & assess molecular impacts via spatial proteomics. SCP-Nano ensures clinical safety & precision.
Application 2:
Detect subtle off-target effects & assess molecular impacts via spatial proteomics. SCP-Nano ensures clinical safety & precision.
January 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
7/n
Application 2:
Detect subtle off-target effects & assess molecular impacts via spatial proteomics. SCP-Nano ensures clinical safety & precision.
Application 2:
Detect subtle off-target effects & assess molecular impacts via spatial proteomics. SCP-Nano ensures clinical safety & precision.
6/n
Application 1:
Detailed delivery maps reveal organ-specific heterogeneity in LNP targeting, uncovering hotspots undetectable with traditional methods. Crucial for optimizing routes/doses.
Application 1:
Detailed delivery maps reveal organ-specific heterogeneity in LNP targeting, uncovering hotspots undetectable with traditional methods. Crucial for optimizing routes/doses.
January 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
6/n
Application 1:
Detailed delivery maps reveal organ-specific heterogeneity in LNP targeting, uncovering hotspots undetectable with traditional methods. Crucial for optimizing routes/doses.
Application 1:
Detailed delivery maps reveal organ-specific heterogeneity in LNP targeting, uncovering hotspots undetectable with traditional methods. Crucial for optimizing routes/doses.
5/n
AI innovations:
Visualization is only step 1. Quantifying millions of targeted cells needs robust deep learning. We developed a pipeline delivering F1 scores >0.90, outperforming existing tools like Imaris.
AI innovations:
Visualization is only step 1. Quantifying millions of targeted cells needs robust deep learning. We developed a pipeline delivering F1 scores >0.90, outperforming existing tools like Imaris.
January 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
5/n
AI innovations:
Visualization is only step 1. Quantifying millions of targeted cells needs robust deep learning. We developed a pipeline delivering F1 scores >0.90, outperforming existing tools like Imaris.
AI innovations:
Visualization is only step 1. Quantifying millions of targeted cells needs robust deep learning. We developed a pipeline delivering F1 scores >0.90, outperforming existing tools like Imaris.
4/n
Tissue clearing innovations:
Existing clearing methods failed to preserve tagged mRNAs in nanocarriers. SCP-Nano optimized DISCO clearing by:
• Removing urea & sodium azide
• Reducing DCM exposure
Preserving fluorescence across the mouse body.
Tissue clearing innovations:
Existing clearing methods failed to preserve tagged mRNAs in nanocarriers. SCP-Nano optimized DISCO clearing by:
• Removing urea & sodium azide
• Reducing DCM exposure
Preserving fluorescence across the mouse body.
January 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
4/n
Tissue clearing innovations:
Existing clearing methods failed to preserve tagged mRNAs in nanocarriers. SCP-Nano optimized DISCO clearing by:
• Removing urea & sodium azide
• Reducing DCM exposure
Preserving fluorescence across the mouse body.
Tissue clearing innovations:
Existing clearing methods failed to preserve tagged mRNAs in nanocarriers. SCP-Nano optimized DISCO clearing by:
• Removing urea & sodium azide
• Reducing DCM exposure
Preserving fluorescence across the mouse body.
3/n
Challenges SCP-Nano addresses:
Current methods like bioluminescence, PET, or MRI lack the resolution & sensitivity for low-dose nanocarrier applications like vaccines. SCP-Nano fills this gap with single-cell precision.
Challenges SCP-Nano addresses:
Current methods like bioluminescence, PET, or MRI lack the resolution & sensitivity for low-dose nanocarrier applications like vaccines. SCP-Nano fills this gap with single-cell precision.
January 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
3/n
Challenges SCP-Nano addresses:
Current methods like bioluminescence, PET, or MRI lack the resolution & sensitivity for low-dose nanocarrier applications like vaccines. SCP-Nano fills this gap with single-cell precision.
Challenges SCP-Nano addresses:
Current methods like bioluminescence, PET, or MRI lack the resolution & sensitivity for low-dose nanocarrier applications like vaccines. SCP-Nano fills this gap with single-cell precision.
2/n
What is SCP-Nano?
A pipeline to map & quantify biodistribution of fluorescence-labeled nanocarriers in whole mouse bodies with single-cell resolution. It combines DISCO clearing, light-sheet microscopy, & deep learning.
What is SCP-Nano?
A pipeline to map & quantify biodistribution of fluorescence-labeled nanocarriers in whole mouse bodies with single-cell resolution. It combines DISCO clearing, light-sheet microscopy, & deep learning.
January 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
2/n
What is SCP-Nano?
A pipeline to map & quantify biodistribution of fluorescence-labeled nanocarriers in whole mouse bodies with single-cell resolution. It combines DISCO clearing, light-sheet microscopy, & deep learning.
What is SCP-Nano?
A pipeline to map & quantify biodistribution of fluorescence-labeled nanocarriers in whole mouse bodies with single-cell resolution. It combines DISCO clearing, light-sheet microscopy, & deep learning.
Twitter:
LNP/mRNA therapeutics and AAV-based approaches require cell-level precision to achieve success without significant toxicity to other cells. To enable this, we developed SCP-Nano: an AI and tissue-clearing-based technology for precision nanotechnology. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
LNP/mRNA therapeutics and AAV-based approaches require cell-level precision to achieve success without significant toxicity to other cells. To enable this, we developed SCP-Nano: an AI and tissue-clearing-based technology for precision nanotechnology. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Twitter:
LNP/mRNA therapeutics and AAV-based approaches require cell-level precision to achieve success without significant toxicity to other cells. To enable this, we developed SCP-Nano: an AI and tissue-clearing-based technology for precision nanotechnology. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
LNP/mRNA therapeutics and AAV-based approaches require cell-level precision to achieve success without significant toxicity to other cells. To enable this, we developed SCP-Nano: an AI and tissue-clearing-based technology for precision nanotechnology. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reflecting on 2024 📚🎧: Read 50 books, including Island Beneath the Sea, Ego is the Enemy, How Not to Age, The Anxious Generation, & Nexus. Balanced learning with podcasts like Matt Wolfe, The AI Advantage, Lex Fridman, & Huberman Lab. Books for depth, podcasts for speed—perfect mix! Your favorites?
December 31, 2024 at 8:53 AM
Reflecting on 2024 📚🎧: Read 50 books, including Island Beneath the Sea, Ego is the Enemy, How Not to Age, The Anxious Generation, & Nexus. Balanced learning with podcasts like Matt Wolfe, The AI Advantage, Lex Fridman, & Huberman Lab. Books for depth, podcasts for speed—perfect mix! Your favorites?