Jiefu Li, PhD

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Multicellularity is built on intercellular adhesion and communication, processes that occur at cellular interfaces and are mediated by cell-surface molecules. Cell-surface signaling therefore shapes the development, physiology, disease, and evolution of multicellular organisms, yet the molecular composition and dynamics of the cell surface remained difficult to study in intact tissues. Over the past several years, together with our collaborators, we have developed a comprehensive “wet-to-dry” suite of methods for cell-surface proteomics in tissues, spanning labeling strategies, chemical and genetic tools, and computational analysis. By combining technology development, in vivo genetic screens, and mechanistic studies, we use these tools to uncover molecular and cellular mechanisms governing brain development and vascular physiology. In this talk, I will share our approaches for mapping the cell surface, highlight discoveries enabled by these methods, and discuss our vision for integrating cell-surface proteomics with systems cell biology to advance neuroscience and vascular biology.