Rui Gao
Rui completed a BS in Chemistry from UC Berkeley, followed by a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Harvard University. While a postdoc in Synthetic Neurobiology, he developed novel chemical approaches for expansion microscopy. He then went on to a tenure-track assistant professor job at U Illinois Chicago.
Publications
Rapid reconstruction of neural circuits using tissue expansion and light sheet microscopy
Elife | 2022Lillvis JL, Otsuna H, Ding X, Pisarev I, Kawase T, Colonell J, Rokicki K, Goina C, Gao R, Hu A, Wang K, Bogovic J, Milkie DE, Meienberg L, Mensh BD, Boyden ES, Saalfeld S, Tillberg PW, Dickson BJ (2022) Rapid reconstruction of neural circuits using tissue expansion and light sheet microscopy, Elife 11:e81248.
A highly homogeneous polymer composed of tetrahedron-like monomers for high-isotropy expansion microscopy
Nature Nanotechnology | 2021Gao R*, Yu CJ*, Gao L, Piatkevich KD, Neve RL, Munro JB, Upadhyayula S, Boyden ES (2021) A highly homogeneous polymer composed of tetrahedron-like monomers for high-isotropy expansion microscopy, Nature Nanotechnology 16:698–707. (*, equal contribution)
Precision Calcium Imaging of Dense Neural Populations via a Cell-Body-Targeted Calcium Indicator
Neuron | 2020Shemesh OA*, Linghu C*, Piatkevich KD*, Goodwin D, Celiker OT, Gritton HJ, Romano MF, Gao R, Yu CJ, Tseng HA, Bensussen S, Narayan S, Yang CT, Freifeld L, Siciliano CA, Gupta I, Wang J, Pak N, Yoon YG, Ullmann JFP, Guner-Ataman B, Noamany H, Sheinkopf ZR, Park WM, Asano S, Keating AE, Trimmer JS, Reimer J, Tolias AS, Bear MF, Tye KM, Han X, Ahrens MB, Boyden ES (2020) Precision Calcium Imaging of Dense Neural Populations via a Cell-Body-Targeted Calcium Indicator, Neuron 107(3):470-486. (*, equal contribution)
Expansion Microscopy for Beginners: Visualizing Microtubules in Expanded Cultured HeLa Cells
Current Protocols in Neuroscience | 2020Zhang C*, Kang JS*, Asano SM, Gao R, Boyden ES (2020) Expansion Microscopy for Beginners: Visualizing Microtubules in Expanded Cultured HeLa Cells, Current Protocols in Neuroscience 92(1):e96. (*, contributed equally)
Cortical column and whole-brain imaging with molecular contrast and nanoscale resolution
Science | 2019Ruixuan Gao*, Shoh M. Asano*, Srigokul Upadhyayula*, Igor Pisarev, Daniel E. Milkie, Tsung-Li Liu, Ved Singh, Austin Graves, Grace H. Huynh, Yongxin Zhao, John Bogovic, Jennifer Colonell, Carolyn M. Ott, Christopher Zugates, Susan Tappan, Alfredo Rodriguez, Kishore R. Mosaliganti, Shu-Hsien Sheu, H. Amalia Pasolli, Song Pang, C. Shan Xu, Sean G. Megason, Harald Hess, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Adam Hantman, Gerald M. Rubin, Tom Kirchhausen, Stephan Saalfeld, Yoshinori Aso, Edward S. Boyden**, Eric Betzig** (2019) Cortical column and whole-brain imaging with molecular contrast and nanoscale resolution, Science 363(6424):eaau8302. (*, equal contribution, **, co-corresponding)
3D nanofabrication by volumetric deposition and controlled shrinkage of patterned scaffolds
Science | 2018D. Oran*, S. G. Rodriques*, R. Gao, S. Asano, M. A. Skylar-Scott, F. Chen, P. W. Tillberg, A. H. Marblestone**, E. S. Boyden** (2018) 3D nanofabrication by volumetric deposition and controlled shrinkage of patterned scaffolds, Science 362(6420):1281-1285. (*, equal contributors; **, equal contributors)
Expansion Microscopy: Protocols for Imaging Proteins and RNA in Cells and Tissues
Current Protocols in Cell Biology | 2018Asano SM*, Gao R*, Wassie AT*, Tillberg PW, Chen F, Boyden ES (2018) Expansion Microscopy: Protocols for Imaging Proteins and RNA in Cells and Tissues, Current Protocols in Cell Biology 80(1):e56. (*, co-first authors)
Light sheet theta microscopy for rapid high-resolution imaging of large biological samples
BMC Biology | 2018Migliori B, Datta MS, Dupre C, Apak MC, Asano S, Gao R, Boyden ES, Hermanson O, Yuste R, Tomer R (2018) Light sheet theta microscopy for rapid high-resolution imaging of large biological samples, BMC Biology 16(1):57.
Expansion Microscopy of Zebrafish for Neuroscience and Developmental Biology Studies
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | 2017Freifeld L, Odstrcil I, Förster D, Ramirez A, Gagnon JA, Randlett O, Costa EK, Asano S, Celiker OT, Gao R, Martin-Alarcon DA, Reginato P, Dick C, Chen L, Schoppik D, Engert F, Baier H, Boyden ES (2017) Expansion microscopy of zebrafish for neuroscience and developmental biology studies, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114(50):E10799-E10808.
Q&A: Expansion microscopy
BMC Biology | 2017Gao R.*, Asano S.M.*, Boyden E.S. (2017) Q&A: Expansion microscopy, BMC Biology 15:50. (*, co-first authors)
Sonofragmentation of Ultrathin 1D Nanomaterials
Particle and Particle Systems Characterization | 2016Gao, R.*, Gupta, I.*, Boyden, E. S. (2017) Sonofragmentation of ultra-thin 1D nanomaterials, Particle and Particle Systems Characterization 34.1. (*, co-first authors)
Multiplexed neural recording along a single optical fiber via optical reflectometry
Journal of Biomedical Optics | 2016Rodriques, S.G.*, Marblestone, A.H*, Scholvin, J., Dapello, J., Sarkar, D., Mankin, M., Gao, R., Wood, L., and Boyden, E.S. (2016) Multiplexed neural recording along a single optical fiber via optical reflectometry, Journal of Biomedical Optics 21(5):057003. (*, co-first authors)