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Isaac Li

@isaacli.bsky.social

420 followers 630 following 16 posts

Single-molecule biophysicist, building force-responsive DNA to study biology, love space exploration real & sci-fi. 🔬🧬🧫🌟🪐🚀 Associate Professor of Chemistry at UBC Okanagan, Canada Research Chair, Michael Smith Scholar 🍁🇨🇦 https://lilab.ok.ubc.ca/

lilab.ok.ubc.ca

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Isaac Li @isaacli.bsky.social · 21d

We just uploaded a preprint on a new massively parallel single-molecule force spectroscopy method. No beads, no messy calibration - just pure DNA tethers pulling individual molecules while we watch them in real-time with fluorescence.
Check it out: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Isaac Li @isaacli.bsky.social · Jun 26

I didn’t connect the paper and the name! We read this paper with great interest, great work! Hope it gets published soon!! 👍

Isaac Li @isaacli.bsky.social · Jun 26

Thanks Sam, and this method is super low-cost! 😉

Isaac Li @isaacli.bsky.social · Jun 25

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. This is a simple, general strategy for robust mechanobiology in DNase-rich environments. doi.org/10.1002/anie...

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Isaac Li @isaacli.bsky.social · Jun 24

Wonderful visit to the University of Lethbridge -many thanks to Trushar @trushar7.bsky.social and Dylan for the kind hosting! Great discussions with researchers at the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department! 👍

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Isaac Li @isaacli.bsky.social · May 24

Taking the group out for fun outside of the #BSC2025 @biophyscanada.bsky.social annual meeting, visited Niagara Falls, ran into a filming of a featured film, good times!

Isaac Li @isaacli.bsky.social · May 24

Congratulations 🎉 to Ryan, David, and Irving for winning two poster and a travel award at the @biophyscanada.bsky.social annual meeting! 👏

Reposted by Isaac Li

Biophysical Society of Canada @biophyscanada.bsky.social · May 24

Congratulations to all the trainee award winners at the BSC 2025!

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Reposted by Isaac Li

Biophysical Society of Canada @biophyscanada.bsky.social · May 24

The 10th BSC annual meeting just wrapped up. We sincerely thank Cecile Fradin and the team of local organizers and volunteers at McMaster for making this a successful event! Looking forward to next year in Winnipeg!

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Reposted by Isaac Li

SFU Faculty of Science @sfuscience.bsky.social · Apr 29

Congratulations to @sfuphysics.bsky.social professor Nancy Forde who has received the @canadianphysicists.bsky.social Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, recognizing her innovative teaching methods, curriculum development and undergraduate research mentorship. cap.ca/programs/rec...

SFU Physics professor Nancy Forde gathers a stack of booklets from students in a classroom

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Isaac Li @isaacli.bsky.social · Apr 18

Check out our recent progress using 🧬 PAINT kinetics to decode molecular tension in super-resolution force imaging! 🔬 Great team effort from Seongho, Adam, Irving, and Kevin! 👏
#DNA-PAINT #tension #integrin #superresolution #adhesion

doi.org/10.1002/advs...

Quantitative Super‐Resolution Imaging of Molecular Tension

Quantitative tension PAINT (qtPAINT) is a new method to quantify molecular tension at super-resolution by exploiting force-dependent DNA oligonucleotide dissociation kinetics. Combining hairpin tensi....

doi.org

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Reposted by Isaac Li

Biophysical Society of Canada @biophyscanada.bsky.social · Apr 2

The 10th annual BSC meeting is coming up in Hamilton!
Don't miss the April 15 deadline for early registration, abstract submission, and travel awards.
Details & program: event.fourwaves.com/bsc2025/ #BSC2025

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Reposted by Isaac Li

Biophysical Society of Canada @biophyscanada.bsky.social · Apr 2

The 10th annual meeting of the Biophysical Society of Canada will be held May 20-23 at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON.

Check out the speaker lineup and programs here: event.fourwaves.com/bsc2025/

Early registration and abstract submission deadlines are April 15. #BSC2025

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Isaac Li @isaacli.bsky.social · Mar 15

David Bakker from my group is talking to middle school students about our research on DNA and optical tweezers!🧬Great job, David, for bringing the latest science from UBCO to the grade 6-10 classrooms! career.sd83.bc.ca/2025/03/14/f...
#biophysics #outreach @ubcokanagan.bsky.social

From SAS to Biochemistry and Back

Former Salmon Arm Secondary student David Bakker (left) and Grade 10 JL Jackson student Sabrina Wilson (right) demonstrate what happens when DNA strings are stretched while Teacher David Hollatz wa…

career.sd83.bc.ca

Isaac Li @isaacli.bsky.social · Mar 12

We just published a review of the very recent progress in integrin force loading rate measurement using various molecular tension probes. Learn more about how this has advanced the field and what potential improvement lies ahead here: doi.org/10.1017/qrd....
#mechanobiology #integrin #tensionprobes