JungmannLab

The image on the cover shows two sugars from the same cell-surface glycan separated by 9 Å, visualized with RESI (resolution enhancement by sequential imaging) enabled by metabolic labelling with DNA barcodes. IMAGE: Luciano A. Masullo, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany. COVER DESIGN: Vanitha Selvarajan Original paper: Masullo, L.A., et al. Ångström-resolution imaging of cell-surface glycans. Nat. Nanotechnol. 20, 1457–1463 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-025-01966-5 Abstract: Glycobiology is rooted in the study of monosaccharides, ångström-sized molecules that are the building blocks of glycosylation. Glycosylated biomolecules form the glycocalyx, a dense coat encasing every human cell with central relevance—among others—in immunology, oncology and virology. To understand glycosylation function, visualizing its molecular structure is fundamental. However, the ability to visualize the molecular architecture of the glycocalyx has remained challenging. Techniques such as mass spectrometry, electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy lack the necessary cellular context, specificity and resolution. Here we combine resolution enhancement by sequential imaging with metabolic labelling, enabling the visualization of individual sugars within glycans on the cell surface, thus obtaining images of the glycocalyx with a spatial resolution down to 9 Å in an optical microscope.

Now online: October 2025 Issue.

- Focus Issue on #biosensing,
- DNA moiré superlattices,
- Sugars at Ångström-resolution,
- Solid-state #nanopores,
- Non-aqueous Li #batteries, -
- Neuromorphic vision,
- Peptide #hydrogels,
- Deep learning for #LNPs and more...

www.nature.com/nnano/volume...

Left-handed DNA for efficient highly multiplexed imaging at single-protein resolution - Nature Communications By combining left- and right-handed DNA-PAINT probes, Unterauer et al. achieve simple, robust, and highly multiplexed super-resolution. They show 13-plex neuronal maps, revealing nanoscale organization of cytoskeleton, organelles, and synapses.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Thanks to all who made this possible! @eduardunterauer.bsky.social @evaschentarra.bsky.social @ipachmayr.bsky.social @taishatashrin.bsky.social Jisoo Kwon Sebastian Strauss, @jekristina.bsky.social @rafalkowalew.bsky.social @opazo.bsky.social @forna.bsky.social @lumasullo.bsky.social (6/6)

Within this neuronal atlas we can reveal the three synapse classes, excitatory, inhibitory and the recently discovered mixed synapse. Organelle imaging of Peroxisomes (Pmp70) and the Golgi Apparatus (Golga5) reveals rare contact sides and even fused particles. (5/6)

To show the power of the technique, we acquired a 13-plex 200 x 200 µm2 neuronal atlas in 3D. With this atlas we map the interaction architecture of three neurons, resolving organelles, cytoskeleton, vesicles and synapses at single-protein resolution. (4/6)

We demonstrate speed-optimized left-handed DNA-PAINT by characterizing the sequence binding kinetics and resolving three main microscopy benchmarking targets, mitochondria, microtubules and nuclear pore complexes with <5 nm localization precision. (3/6)

The mirrored design of left-handed oligonucleotides allows the extension of the common 6 speed-sequences R1-R6 with their analogs L1-L6, enabling 12 target multiplexing with a standard secondary label-free DNA-PAINT workflow. (2/6)

Highly efficient 12-color multiplexing with speed-optimized DNA-PAINT. We are excited to share our latest paper in @natcomms.nature.com, using left-handed DNA to extend speed-optimized DNA-PAINT to 12 targets in a simple and straightforward way! 🧬👈🚀https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64228-x

Next on stage is Eduard Unterauer @eduardunterauer.bsky.social from @jungmannlab.bsky.social reporting spatial proteomics with DNA PAINT #SMLMS2025

We're excited that the study is now out in Nature Nanotechnology @natnano.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Ångström-resolution imaging of cell-surface glycans - Nature Nanotechnology By combining bioorthogonal metabolic labelling and resolution enhancement through sequential imaging of DNA barcodes, the molecular organization of individual sugars in the native glycocalyx has been ...

New paper online:

Ångström-resolution imaging of cell-surface glycans.

The molecular organization of sugars in the native #glycocalyx has been resolved at 9 ångström using bioorthogonal metabolic labeling and #superresolution imaging of DNA barcodes.

#Glycotime

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Resolving the structural basis of therapeutic antibody function in cancer immunotherapy with RESI - Nature Communications The nanoscale organization of the antigen-antibody complexes influences the therapeutic action of monoclonal antibodies. Here, the authors present a multi-target 3D RESI imaging assay for the nanomete...

Congratulations to everyone involved: @ipachmayr.bsky.social, @lumasullo.bsky.social, @susannereinhardt.bsky.social, Jisoo Kwon, Ondřej Skořepa, Maite Llop, Sylvia Herter, Marina Bacac and Christian Klein. (6/6)
Read the full story here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The shift from Type II to Type I function reveals a structure–function continuum for anti-CD20 antibodies, showing that receptor arrangements dictate mechanism of action. RESI provides a platform for structure-guided antibody development, applicable far beyond CD20. (5/6)

We showed a direct link between CD20 oligomerization and function by investigating OBZ-based T-cell engagers (TCEs). An increased IgG flexibility in the 2+1 TCE format lead to increased CD20 tetramerization, without higher-order clustering, resulting in a reduction of direct cytotoxicity. (4/6)

In contrast, Type II antibodies like Obinutuzumab and H299 induced limited oligomerization to dimers, trimers and tetramers, consistent with their role in promoting direct tumor cell death rather than complement activation. (3/6)

By imaging intact cells, we could see these therapeutic antibodies in action: Type I antibodies like Rituximab and Ofatumumab formed extended chains of CD20 hexamers or larger, creating platforms compatible with complement protein binding, mediating cancer cell killing. (2/6)

Ever wondered what happens when therapeutic antibodies bind to cancer cells? In our latest study, we used multiplexed 3D-RESI to directly visualize how anti-CD20 antibodies interact with their receptors, revealing their precise arrangement at single-protein resolution. (1/6)

Congratulations to Ralf on your election as a new EMBO member:

❕Original press release from @embo.org : www.embo.org/press-releas...

Great science, great company and stunning views at our Lab retreat on Schloss Ringberg 🏰🧬🔬. Big thanks to our guests Sabrina Simoncelli, Sebastian Kobold, Thomas Schlichthärle, @massivephotonics.bsky.social & students from the @lfmilles.bsky.social and @mlsb-borgwardt.bsky.social Labs for joining!

@larissaheinze.bsky.social

@moniquehonsa.bsky.social , @philippsteen.bsky.social , Larissa Heinze, Shuhan Xu, Heinrich Grabmayr, Isabelle Pachmayr, Susanne C. M. Reinhardt, Ana Perovic, Jisoo Kwon, Ethan P. Oxley, Ross A. Dickins, Maartje M. C. Bastings, Ian A. Parish

Big congrats to @lumasullo.bsky.social and @rafalkowalew.bsky.social who led the project as well as other co-authors that contributed to this work!!

To facilitate SPINNA’s widespread use in the scientific community, we offer an open-source Python implementation and a GUI available in the latest version of Picasso (github.com/jungmannlab/..., picassosr.readthedocs.io/en/latest/sp...). 7/7

Finally, we investigate the dimerization of CD80 and PD-L1, key surface ligands involved in immune cell signaling. 6/7

We further quantitatively evaluate the oligomerization of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) upon binding of its ligand, EGF. 5/7

We demonstrate SPINNA in DNA-origami, showing that it can infer not only the stoichiometry of the oligomers but also different spatial conformations. 4/7

Here, we present SPINNA (Single-Protein Investigation via Nearest Neighbor Analysis): an analysis framework that compares nearest neighbor distances from experimental single-protein data with those from realistic simulations based on a user-defined model of protein oligomerization states. 3/7

Latest advances in super-resolution microscopy (DNA-PAINT, MINFLUX, RESI) allow the study of molecular arrangements at the level of single proteins, but extracting quantitative information on the 1–20 nm scale through rigorous image analysis remains a significant challenge. 2/7

Understanding how proteins assemble into complexes (oligomerize) within their native cellular environments is crucial for deciphering cellular signaling pathways 1/7

Spatial and stoichiometric in situ analysis of biomolecular oligomerization at single-protein resolution - Nature Communications Extracting quantitative information on biomolecular oligomerisation with high resolution remains a significant challenge. Here, the authors propose SPINNA, a framework that compares nearest-neighbour ...

Spatial and stoichiometric in situ analysis of biomolecular oligomerization at single-protein resolution

We are excited to present our latest work published in @natcomms.nature.com

www.nature.com/articles/s41...