Wade Zeno
@zenoresearch.bsky.social
Assistant professor of Chemical Engineering at USC in Los Angeles. My research group focuses on protein-lipid biophysics and biological membrane engineering.
New preprint from our lab!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Using reconstituted lipid bilayers and truncation mutants, we show that α-synuclein remodels membranes through electrostatic repulsion from its anionic C-terminal region, augmented by its N-terminal region via asymmetric bilayer insertion.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Using reconstituted lipid bilayers and truncation mutants, we show that α-synuclein remodels membranes through electrostatic repulsion from its anionic C-terminal region, augmented by its N-terminal region via asymmetric bilayer insertion.
www.biorxiv.org
March 26, 2026 at 1:40 PM
New preprint from our lab!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Using reconstituted lipid bilayers and truncation mutants, we show that α-synuclein remodels membranes through electrostatic repulsion from its anionic C-terminal region, augmented by its N-terminal region via asymmetric bilayer insertion.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Using reconstituted lipid bilayers and truncation mutants, we show that α-synuclein remodels membranes through electrostatic repulsion from its anionic C-terminal region, augmented by its N-terminal region via asymmetric bilayer insertion.
New preprint from my lab! Clathrin doesn’t bind membranes directly, yet it can still drive membrane bending and fission by transmitting its mechanical properties through adaptor proteins.
Our collaborators:
@samuelfoley.com
@mejohnson81.bsky.social
BioRxiv link:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Our collaborators:
@samuelfoley.com
@mejohnson81.bsky.social
BioRxiv link:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org
March 13, 2026 at 3:59 PM
New preprint from my lab! Clathrin doesn’t bind membranes directly, yet it can still drive membrane bending and fission by transmitting its mechanical properties through adaptor proteins.
Our collaborators:
@samuelfoley.com
@mejohnson81.bsky.social
BioRxiv link:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Our collaborators:
@samuelfoley.com
@mejohnson81.bsky.social
BioRxiv link:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Wade Zeno
Today is the last day of #BPS2026!
We loved celebrating the accomplishments of our community. Starting with our inaugural #BIBPS Travel Awardees, Emmanuel Osei and Skylar Grimsley, to the outstanding science shared at the #BlackInBiophysics Symposium. Congratulations to all! 👏🏾
We loved celebrating the accomplishments of our community. Starting with our inaugural #BIBPS Travel Awardees, Emmanuel Osei and Skylar Grimsley, to the outstanding science shared at the #BlackInBiophysics Symposium. Congratulations to all! 👏🏾
February 25, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Today is the last day of #BPS2026!
We loved celebrating the accomplishments of our community. Starting with our inaugural #BIBPS Travel Awardees, Emmanuel Osei and Skylar Grimsley, to the outstanding science shared at the #BlackInBiophysics Symposium. Congratulations to all! 👏🏾
We loved celebrating the accomplishments of our community. Starting with our inaugural #BIBPS Travel Awardees, Emmanuel Osei and Skylar Grimsley, to the outstanding science shared at the #BlackInBiophysics Symposium. Congratulations to all! 👏🏾
New paper from my group! We show that membrane surface hydrophobicity, driven by lipid packing defects, can be just as important, and possibly even more important, than surface charge in governing alpha-synuclein binding.
Here is the open-access link:
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Here is the open-access link:
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
August 8, 2025 at 2:30 AM
New paper from my group! We show that membrane surface hydrophobicity, driven by lipid packing defects, can be just as important, and possibly even more important, than surface charge in governing alpha-synuclein binding.
Here is the open-access link:
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Here is the open-access link:
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Reposted by Wade Zeno
Folks, this is Biophysics Week! To honor the occasion, the Membrane Structure and Function Subgroup is organizing a webinar tomorrow, Tuesday March 25, at 11am EDT. If you're not yet registered, do so now! Will be fun! 🧪
Registration link is here:
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Registration link is here:
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
March 24, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Folks, this is Biophysics Week! To honor the occasion, the Membrane Structure and Function Subgroup is organizing a webinar tomorrow, Tuesday March 25, at 11am EDT. If you're not yet registered, do so now! Will be fun! 🧪
Registration link is here:
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Registration link is here:
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Reposted by Wade Zeno
Some very clever and interesting membrane biophysicists (and also me) are doing a little webinar on... well, membrane biophysics of today and tomorrow.
Check it out if you have time!
Check it out if you have time!
March 12, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Some very clever and interesting membrane biophysicists (and also me) are doing a little webinar on... well, membrane biophysics of today and tomorrow.
Check it out if you have time!
Check it out if you have time!
Reposted by Wade Zeno
As #BlackHistoryMonth comes to a close, we reflect upon the remarkable achievements of Black biophysicists. We congratulate outstanding the “Black In Biophysics” seminar co-chairs and speakers at #BPS2025.
We are committed to promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in #STEM fields ✊🏾
🧵 1/2
We are committed to promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in #STEM fields ✊🏾
🧵 1/2
February 28, 2025 at 8:33 PM
As #BlackHistoryMonth comes to a close, we reflect upon the remarkable achievements of Black biophysicists. We congratulate outstanding the “Black In Biophysics” seminar co-chairs and speakers at #BPS2025.
We are committed to promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in #STEM fields ✊🏾
🧵 1/2
We are committed to promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in #STEM fields ✊🏾
🧵 1/2
Reposted by Wade Zeno
The #BlackInBiophysics Symposium at #BPS2025 highlighted #BlackExcellence in broad areas of biophysics research. We congratulate Drs. Alaji Bah, Breann Brown, Oleta Johnson, and Wade Zeno for their outstanding work. You inspire us!
#RepresentationMatters
@biophysicalsoc.bsky.social
#RepresentationMatters
@biophysicalsoc.bsky.social
February 19, 2025 at 2:09 AM
The #BlackInBiophysics Symposium at #BPS2025 highlighted #BlackExcellence in broad areas of biophysics research. We congratulate Drs. Alaji Bah, Breann Brown, Oleta Johnson, and Wade Zeno for their outstanding work. You inspire us!
#RepresentationMatters
@biophysicalsoc.bsky.social
#RepresentationMatters
@biophysicalsoc.bsky.social
It's known that anionic lipid charge enhances alpha-synuclein's ability to bind membranes. But did you know that alpha-synuclein can preferentially bind to neutral membranes when they are full of packing defects?
Read about it in our latest preprint!
Read about it in our latest preprint!
Lipid Packing Defects are Necessary and Sufficient for Membrane Binding of alpha-Synuclein https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.14.623669v1
Lipid Packing Defects are Necessary and Sufficient for Membrane Binding of alpha-Synuclein https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.14.623669v1
alpha-Synuclein (alphaSyn), an intrinsically disordered protein implicated in Parkinson's disease, i
www.biorxiv.org
November 18, 2024 at 8:17 PM
It's known that anionic lipid charge enhances alpha-synuclein's ability to bind membranes. But did you know that alpha-synuclein can preferentially bind to neutral membranes when they are full of packing defects?
Read about it in our latest preprint!
Read about it in our latest preprint!