Reposted by Lin Tian, PhDMax Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience @mpfneuro.bsky.social · 01/10/2026MPFI is hiring a Neural Data Scientist! This is a rare opportunity to work as an embedded computational neuroscientist within a world-class experimental community, contributing to groundbreaking discoveries and the rapid advancement of neuroscience. Visit our website to apply. bit.ly/3TDE82d 052
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026I'm grateful to have each of you on my team driving new discoveries and educating the next generation of scientists. Thank you for all your hard work, @emiwright.bsky.social, @akashpal.bsky.social, Shisheng Li, Yihan Jin, Zhonghou Wang, and Preston Samowitz! 031
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026At the same time, life outside of your research does not pause. Many of you are also balancing families, young children, and partners’ careers along with health, moves, visas, and so many other responsibilities outside the lab. 111
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026To our amazing postdocs, happy #NationalPostdocAppreciationWeek! 💜 Being a postdoc is a challenging balance. You are expected to do ambitious and independent science while also racing against the clock to publish, write grants, establish your scientific identity, and position your next career step. 160
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Thank you to @tpatriarchi.bsky.social for introducing my keynote talk, and thanks to @willuhnlab.bsky.social & Paul Phillips for inviting me and for organizing a thoughtful & energizing meeting. Looking forward to MMiN 2028! 041
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026I had a lovely time at the MMiN 2026 meeting in Amsterdam, where I spoke about our work developing genetically engineered sensors 🧠 The field needs to integrate multimodal detection to go beyond the capabilities of current technologies to identify treatment targets for neuropsychiatric diseases. 150
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Akash is developing a toolkit for labs to explore neuropeptide signaling, including a miniature two-photon microscope he adapted in collaboration with Thorlabs for in vivo imaging of genetically encoded neuropeptide sensors 💡 Outside the lab, he enjoys going for walks with his wife and dog. 030
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Peptides (biological messengers that shape hunger, stress, and pain) are more elusive to see than fast neurotransmitters like dopamine and glutamate. Akash develops sensors for these neuropeptides across imaging scales, from fiber photometry to miniscope and multiphoton imaging in behaving animals 🐁 120
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Meet the team! Today’s spotlight: @akashpal.bsky.social ✨ Akash is a postdoctoral researcher building genetically encoded sensors that enable real-time observation of neuropeptide signaling in the living brain 🧠 154
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Looking forward to speaking at the 2026 Monitoring Molecules in Neuroscience (MMiN) Meeting in September! I’ll be presenting recent work on developing & using genetically engineered sensors to monitor brain activity in living, behaving animals 🧠 Register by 9/7: monitoringmolecules.org/mmin-2026/ 0113
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/08/2026It was a joy to attend this year's BRAIN Initiative Conference. Tian Lab member Alessio Andreoni presented our work developing & optimizing genetically encoded indicators and high-resolution microscopy tools to better understand brain circuit functioning 🧠 Thank you to the conference organizers! 051
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 24/07/2026In the Tian Lab, Erin is known for sharing book recommendations, as she is an avid reader of fantasy & science fiction. Outside the lab, she enjoys rock climbing, painting, and hiking with her dog Olive 🫒 020
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 24/07/2026Erin excels at stepping out of her own field, drawing from several other systems to develop novel sensors. Her interdisciplinarity can be traced back to her scientific origin in astrophysics before she discovered the unique complexity and beauty of the human brain 🧠 130
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 24/07/2026Meet the team! Today’s spotlight: Erin Scott ✨ Erin is a PhD student working to characterize a family of dopamine sensors for the dLight 3.0 series. She is also developing a sensor for alpha-synuclein, a toxic protein heavily implicated in Parkinson’s disease. 182
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 12/06/2026Early on, Yu-Shun was inspired by the complex wiring of neural circuits. Realizing that we can manipulate these circuits to understand human consciousness and behavior, he decided to pursue this line of work in his PhD. Outside the lab, you can find him hiking, photographing, and scuba diving 🥽 🪸 120
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 12/06/2026Yu-Shun’s work fills a much-needed niche in neuroscience, allowing simultaneous imaging of neuromodulators. Integrating these novel sensors with optogenetics allows for more effective exploration of the underlying mechanisms of cognitive function 💡 110
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 12/06/2026Meet the team! Today’s spotlight: @yu-shun.bsky.social ✨ Yu-Shun is a PhD student developing novel red-shifted norepinephrine and GABA sensors, as well as a green GABA sensor, to study how neuromodulators orchestrate the neural circuit between neurons and glia. 130
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 04/06/2026In high school, Ji-You participated in the International Brain Bee competition, which sparked her interest in how neural circuits shape our thoughts, emotions, and behavior. She has been inspired to research the brain’s hidden principles ever since. Beyond the lab, she enjoys ballet and yoga 🩰 010
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Recently, Ji-You established dual-color photometry in freely moving mice, bringing a new technique to our lab. Requiring extensive optimization of viral strategies, surgical techniques, and recording parameters, this new pipeline simultaneously measures glutamate and dopamine during behavior 🐁 110
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Meet the team! Today’s spotlight: Ji-You Min ✨ Ji-You is a PhD student investigating how dynamic serotonin release patterns shape fear, learning, and extinction in the brain. She leverages fiber photometry as well as projection-specific manipulations to explore circuit-level mechanisms 🧠 130
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Brain Exploration Day was a great chance for us to open up the doors at MPFI and share our science with the South Florida community! Thank you so much to everyone who came to explore brain research with us 🧠 🧪 061
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 08/05/2026We describe recent work from Dr. Glenn Turner’s group who developed a new fluorescent sensor that can track GABA in freely moving animals. This sensor addresses a longstanding challenge in the field, achieving live recordings of GABA release in mouse cortices during sensory stimulation 🐁 🧠 010
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 08/05/2026Like the conductor of an orchestra, the neurotransmitter GABA avoids disruptive ‘noise’ by balancing excitation with inhibition ✨ Tian Lab members Nikki Tjahjono, @yu-shun.bsky.social & I wrote about the latest tool to measure this balance in @elife.bsky.social: elifesciences.org/articles/111... 1151
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 04/05/2026Thank you @upenn.edu Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences and UIC Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience for such engaging visits, and hosts Arghya Mukherjee and Rui Gao for the invitations! Read more about our work, led by Tian Lab postdoc Nikki Tjahjono, here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... 001
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 04/05/2026I recently had the pleasure of visiting @upenn.edu & the University of Illinois Chicago to present our latest results developing glutamate sensors that can image multiple neurochemicals 🔬✨ This work helps us understand collective neurotransmitter release during synaptic transmission. 193
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 27/04/2026Our opioid sensor δLight, developed by @chunyangdong.bsky.social, played a role in demonstrating opioid peptide signaling during placebo. Great to see this collaboration published in Neuron! www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...cell.com 051
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 27/04/2026New work from @mattbanghart.bsky.social’s team identifies the brain circuitry responsible for placebo pain relief 🧠 These findings can lead to better pain management strategies in humans, including alternatives to addictive painkillers. Read more: today.ucsd.edu/story/neurob... 161
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 22/04/2026Co-organized by @gordfishell.bsky.social, @tedpricethepainguy.bsky.social, and Xiangmin Xu - this will be an exciting conference 🧠 And thank you to @ucirvine.bsky.social for hosting this event! 011
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 22/04/2026Join us this summer for discussions about how neural circuits operate under normal conditions & disease states, with specialized workshops & hands-on experience ✨ Registration & abstract submissions open through May 1. All career stages welcome! Learn more: cncm.medschool.uci.edu/2026-cncm-co... 165
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 17/04/2026Taking my chance to highlight my amazing lab members for Graduate Student Appreciation week ✨ The lab depends on your curiosity, persistence, and resilience to solve tough questions & drive our research forward. Your hard work is noticed. I'm grateful for all you do! #GradStudentAppreciationWeek 040
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Our findings demonstrate that iHaloGluSnFR enables high-resolution, high-sensitivity glutamate imaging and multiplex measurements, providing a versatile toolkit for exploring how chemical signals integrate across synapses, circuits, and behavior. Learn more about our tools: bit.ly/4bSVg9tbit.lyLin Tian Lab - Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience - ResearchLin Tian's Lab invents, optimizes, and shares innovative molecular tools and biosensors with the ultimate goal of uncovering new treatments for neuropsychiatric diseases. 010
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026We also evaluated the sensors alongside dopamine signaling. In vivo photometry during reward learning showed that glutamate and dopamine signals became more correlated, with glutamate preceding dopamine and the lag between them decreasing over time. 120
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Next, we leveraged the red-shifted design to test multiplex imaging with other reporters. Dual-color imaging combining iHaloGluSnFR with calcium indicators showed that glutamate release and calcium signals occur together at the same synaptic sites, but with distinct timing and dynamics. 100
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026We then tested whether the sensors could resolve glutamate release at individual synapses. By imaging many synaptic boutons within the same axonal region, we found that even neighboring synapses can differ widely in how often they release glutamate and how their responses change over time. 100
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026When tested in neuronal cultures and acute brain slices, the sensors showed robust responses to glutamate release with fast kinetics and high signal-to-noise. This enabled high-resolution detection of single action potential–evoked activity and glutamate release from individual synapses. 100
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026To address this challenge, we needed to expand the glutamate sensor palette into the red and far-red ranges. Leveraging the brightness and spectral flexibility of chemigenetic indicators, we developed a family of 9 red-shifted sensors optimized for range, kinetics, and single-vesicle sensitivity. 100
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Glutamatergic transmission plays a central role in synaptic communication & neural computation. While existing indicators have transformed our ability to detect glutamate release, spectral overlap limits multiplex measurements with key signals, including neuromodulators like dopamine & serotonin. 100
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Nikki Tjahjono’s PhD work is out as a @cellpress.bsky.social preview in @ssrn.bsky.social! With @isacofflab.bsky.social, we introduce iHaloGluSnFR, the first red-shifted chemigenetic glutamate sensors, optimized for simultaneous imaging with neuromodulators. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... 193
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026When tested in neuronal cultures and acute brain slices, the sensors showed robust responses to glutamate release with fast kinetics and high signal-to-noise. This enabled high-resolution detection of single action potential–evoked activity and glutamate release from individual synapses. 000
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026To address this challenge, we needed to expand the glutamate sensor palette into the red and far-red ranges. Leveraging the brightness and spectral flexibility of chemigenetic indicators, we developed a family of 9 red-shifted sensors optimized for range, kinetics, and single-vesicle sensitivity. 100
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Glutamatergic transmission plays a central role in synaptic communication & neural computation. While existing indicators have transformed our ability to detect glutamate release, spectral overlap limits multiplex measurements with key signals, including neuromodulators like dopamine & serotonin. 100
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 23/12/2025(Missing from the photo: Alessio Andreoni & Tatu Rojalin) 000
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 23/12/2025Looking back on 2025, I’m proud of all we accomplished as a team. But more than that, I'm proud of the growth, the laughter, and the support we gave one another along the way. Grateful for this team and a year of shared moments big and small. Happy holidays from the Tian Lab 💜✨ 141
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 22/12/2025She also established a single-cell based high throughtput sensor screening platform, combined with machine learning to accelerate the sensor development process. I look forward to these two papers being published! 010
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 22/12/2025During her time in the lab, Nikki led the full development of our red-shifted glutamate sensor, and used it to study complex neurotransmitter signaling during learning. 120
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 22/12/2025We had such a great time celebrating Tian Lab student Nikki Tjahjono’s successful PhD defense last week! Over the past six years, it has been a privilege to work with Nikki and watch her grow into an exceptional scientist, mentor, and community builder. Congratulations, Dr. Tjahjono! 🎓🎉 192
Reposted by Lin Tian, PhDMax Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience @mpfneuro.bsky.social · 05/12/2025In @thetransmitter.bsky.social's 2025 State of Neuroscience Report, @lintianphd.bsky.social shares her perspective on 3 three topics: - Multidisciplinary research - The future of training - Impacts of funding cuts on neuroscience education Explore her insights: bit.ly/4pPi3s9bit.lyThe state of neuroscience in 2025: An overviewThe Transmitter presents a portrait of the field through four lenses: its focus, its output, its people and its funding. 023
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 25/11/2025@thetransmitter.bsky.social's portrait of the state of neuroscience presents a great opportunity to look back & reflect as we come toward the end of 2025. I'm quoted alongside leaders in the field as we reflect on the current challenges & hopes for the future: www.thetransmitter.org/state-of-neu...thetransmitter.orgThe State of Neuroscience 2025The Transmitter presents a portrait of the field through four lenses: its focus, its output, its people and its funding. 0114
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 21/11/2025Our sensor for serotonin, iSeroSnFR, has enabled us to gain a much deeper understanding of the psychoactive effects of psychedelics, allowing us a path toward developing more effective treatments for disorders like anxiety. 050
Lin Tian, PhD @lintianphd.bsky.social · 21/11/2025Thanks to @nature.com for featuring our work in this piece on genetically-encoded sensors. The article does a great job highlighting their importance for both basic research and translational impact, such as in our lab's research on serotonin. www.nature.com/articles/d41...nature.comHow genetically encoded sensors have lit up neuroscienceTools that track specific molecules in neurons have enabled researchers to probe previously unexplored aspects of neurobiology — although important caveats remain. 23615