Finkelstein Lab — Biophysical Studies of Molecular Machines

We develop new biophysical methods to understand how molecular machines edit and repair our genomes. Current lab interests include CRISPR-cas adaptive immunity and eukaryotic DNA repair.

Red, green and blue laser beams tracing across mirrors and lenses on a darkened optical table in the lab's single-molecule microscopy room.

Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Fluorescence micrograph of DNA curtains: four horizontal bands of green-stained DNA molecules stretched in parallel against a black background.

High-throughput single-molecule imaging with DNA curtains

Scanning electron micrograph of the fission yeast lifespan microdissector, showing rows of etched microfluidic channels lined with regularly spaced catch tubes, with a 100 micrometre scale bar.

Scanning electron micrograph of the fission yeast lifespan microdissector (FYLM)

A researcher in orange laser-safety goggles and blue gloves leans over a microscope stage, adjusting optics in the path of a blue laser beam.

Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Computationally aligned image of DNA clusters on a recycled next-generation sequencing chip, rendered as hundreds of small ringed spots scattered across a pale blue field.

Computational alignment of DNA clusters visualized on a recycled NGS chip

A researcher, seen over the shoulder, studies a monitor showing three fluorescence sequencing panels in green, magenta, and overlaid green-and-magenta, each with a zoomed inset.

Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Fluorescence image of DNA clusters on a recycled sequencing chip: dense green spots with scattered magenta spots against a black background.

Fluorescent DNA clusters on a recycled NGS chip

Electron micrograph of a microfabricated quartz wafer, showing a regular grid of nested chevron-shaped nanoscale barriers used to anchor and align DNA curtains.

Microfabricated quartz wafers for assembling DNA curtains

Gloved hands hold an aluminium and green circuit-board flowcell holder fitted with brass thumbscrews and two black inlet ports, used to mount microfluidic chips on the microscope.

Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

News

February 16, 2026: IJF is featured in The Texas Scientist cover story on gene editing — “Cut, Paste, Cure.” (,)

December 19, 2025: Selma, Hongshan, and Eric’s One-Pot isothermal CRISPR detection paper is published in ACS Synthetic Biology.

November 19, 2025: IJF is quoted in Popular Mechanics on DNA data storage — “All of Humanity’s Knowledge Could Become Immortal Inside a Tiny Device.” (,)

October 28, 2025: Jesse Buffington is awarded an NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellowship.

October 23, 2025: Jesse, Jami, Kuang, You-Chiun, and Kamyab’s retron genome editing paper is published in Nature Biotechnology. Our work is written up in CNS News (,), SciTechDaily (,), and ScienceDaily (,).