Dr Hongbin Jin to develop imaging tool to capture cells producing protein in real-time

29 Jul,2026

Dr Hongbin Jin to develop imaging tool to capture cells producing protein in real-time

Dr Hongbin Jin from the Zenker Group has been awarded a ResearchHub Foundation grant through the Biomedical Imaging Technologies funding scheme.

Live-cell fluorescence imaging: Cells light up as they produce new proteins under the microscope

The funding will support Dr Jin’s project to create a powerful new imaging technology that enables researchers to directly observe protein production in living cells in real time, providing an unprecedented view of cellular activity.

Protein production, also known as protein translation, is a fundamental process that underpins cell health and function. The rate and pattern of protein production can reveal important information about a cell’s condition, with changes linked to key biological processes including ageing, cancer and embryo pluripotency – an embryo’s potential for healthy development.

Despite its importance, scientists currently have limited ability to monitor global protein production continuously in living cells.

Dr Jin’s imaging technology will allow researchers to watch protein production as it unfolds within living cells, enabling scientists to assess cell health in real time and identify healthy or abnormal cells based on their protein production patterns.

The technology has the potential to transform how researchers study cell behaviour, offering new insights into the molecular mechanisms that drive development, regeneration, ageing and disease.

Dr Jin’s success in securing this competitive funding highlights both the innovation of his project and the support, expertise and confidence of ARMI’s Zenker Lab to pursue these creative and ambitious goals in advanced live imaging.