Lin Tian, PhD

(Missing from the photo: Alessio Andreoni & Tatu Rojalin)

Looking back on 2025, I’m proud of all we accomplished as a team. But more than that, I'm proud of the growth, the laughter, and the support we gave one another along the way.

Grateful for this team and a year of shared moments big and small.

Happy holidays from the Tian Lab 💜✨

She also established a single-cell based high throughtput sensor screening platform, combined with machine learning to accelerate the sensor development process. I look forward to these two papers being published!

During her time in the lab, Nikki led the full development of our red-shifted glutamate sensor, and used it to study complex neurotransmitter signaling during learning.

We had such a great time celebrating Tian Lab student Nikki Tjahjono’s successful PhD defense last week!

Over the past six years, it has been a privilege to work with Nikki and watch her grow into an exceptional scientist, mentor, and community builder.

Congratulations, Dr. Tjahjono! 🎓🎉

The state of neuroscience in 2025: An overview The Transmitter presents a portrait of the field through four lenses: its focus, its output, its people and its funding.

In @thetransmitter.bsky.social's 2025 State of Neuroscience Report, @lintianphd.bsky.social shares her perspective on 3 three topics:
- Multidisciplinary research
- The future of training
- Impacts of funding cuts on neuroscience education

Explore her insights: bit.ly/4pPi3s9

The State of Neuroscience 2025 The Transmitter presents a portrait of the field through four lenses: its focus, its output, its people and its funding.

@thetransmitter.bsky.social's portrait of the state of neuroscience presents a great opportunity to look back & reflect as we come toward the end of 2025. I'm quoted alongside leaders in the field as we reflect on the current challenges & hopes for the future: www.thetransmitter.org/state-of-neu...

Our sensor for serotonin, iSeroSnFR, has enabled us to gain a much deeper understanding of the psychoactive effects of psychedelics, allowing us a path toward developing more effective treatments for disorders like anxiety.

How genetically encoded sensors have lit up neuroscience Tools that track specific molecules in neurons have enabled researchers to probe previously unexplored aspects of neurobiology — although important caveats remain.

Thanks to @nature.com for featuring our work in this piece on genetically-encoded sensors.

The article does a great job highlighting their importance for both basic research and translational impact, such as in our lab's research on serotonin.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

The Tian Lab is headed to San Diego for @sfn.org #Sfn25!

Proud to have Postbac Fellow, Landon Lee representing us this year––if you’re attending, be sure to stop by his poster to hear more about the science we've been developing this year! ☀️🧠

Thanks to Karel Svoboda for the invitation and for putting together a great symposium!

How has the way we study neural coding and dynamics changed?

At the recent @lakeconferences.bsky.social hosted by @alleninstitute.org I was able to share ideas and research with others working toward new experimental & computational methods for studying these dynamic systems over time.

This week is the 16th Annual National Postdoc Appreciation Week, and we couldn't be prouder of our postdocs in the Tian Lab! ✨

Our postdocs drive forward research, plan and lead projects, mentor students, present and publish work, and much more. I am grateful for you every day!

#NPAW2025

Sunposium 2026 This is "Sunposium 2026" by Max Planck Florida on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

Thinking about attending Sunposium 2026? The early bird registration deadline is September 19th. Curious what makes this conference so special? Our video will give you a glimpse: buff.ly/2FuGjgO Join us March 9–11, 2026, in sunny South Florida. Find more information at buff.ly/zn5aS2b

Lin Tian Lab - Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience - Research Lin Tian's Lab invents, optimizes, and shares innovative molecular tools and biosensors with the ultimate goal of uncovering new treatments for neuropsychiatric diseases.

💡 The future direction of these sensors goes beyond optimization. We want to combine sensor use with technology such as fiber photometry in order to measure the full range of dynamics such as tonic and phasic neuromodulator release.

➡️ Learn more here: www.lintianlab.org/research#tools

🔎 We optimize for signal to noise ratio, measuring intrinsic properties: dynamic range, dissociation constant (Kd), frequency & concentration of signaling molecules.

At a recent lecture I gave at Cold Spring Harbor Lab Asia, I used our calcium indicator as an example to illustrate how we design these sensors.

📈 Optimization is key.

The brain has complex dynamics that give rise to a range of states & behaviors.

🤔 How do we study this complex system?

In my lab’s work, we design and optimize biosensors to measure brain activity at the molecular level.

I attended the first ever Neurobiology of Psychedelics GRC last month.

I was impressed by how interdisciplinary the field is, from molecules to humans. We are just starting to understand the mechanisms of these drugs and how they can unlock future treatments. #GRCPsychedelics

They celebrated with a poster session last week highlighting what they learned. We are so proud of them and their contribution to advancing brain research. Thanks also to their mentors, Yiwei Hua, Julie Chouinard, and Erin Scott!

Photo of the summer interns and lab mentors in the Tian Lab.

Photo of the summer interns at their poster session & end of program celebration.

Congratulations to our three wonderful interns who joined us in the Tian Lab this summer, working on optimizing our PsychLight methodology to screen for potentially therapeutic compounds with similar mechanisms to psychedelics.

www.mpfi.org/high-school-...

The Tian Lab looks forward to welcoming high school students each year as a part of @mpfneuro.bsky.social's summer internship program!

We’re thrilled to have Olivia & Nicole join us this summer and to be part of their journey as they explore what a future in neuroscience can look like.

I recently spoke about my lab's newest sensors at @embl.org‬'s European Light Microscopy Initiative meeting 🔦 🧠

Sharing progress with the community is key to moving science forward, which is why these sensors, and all our tools, are open source ➡️ www.lintianlab.org/research#tools

What a joy to celebrate Nikki, Yihan & Kiran at @ucdavis.bsky.social commencement 🎓

As Chancellor May said, the world needs minds like yours more than ever & I’m so excited to see the impact you’ll make in the years ahead.

Congratulations on this incredible milestone!

📆 Mark your calendars: #OptoGRC2026 is headed back to Tuscany, May 10-15, 2026!

We look forward to reuniting with our amazing community for a week of great science, thoughtful discussions & shared time with colleagues.

More details coming soon👇🏽
tinyurl.com/esvrabsu

Our next #InterfaceNeuroGT session highlighted cutting-edge techniques for measuring and manipulating sensorimotor and cognitive behavior — across species and across scales.

Sponsored by McCamish Parkinson's Disease Innovation Program and chaired by @drannabellesinger.bsky.social.

Know an exceptional early-career independent scientist? Nominate them for the Peter Gruss Young Investigator Award, honoring outstanding contributions to the scientific community through collaboration, creativity, and curiosity-driven research. Please share! mpfi.org/pgyia

It's #MentalHealthAwareness Month. At MPFI, Dr. Lin Tian's team is uncovering changes in brain signaling in conditions like depression by developing tools to visualize neurotransmitters in real-time. This work brings us closer to improved treatment of mental health challenges. buff.ly/LguhgQU

The new @maxplanck.de Postdoc Program platform is now open for its first ever round of applications!

If you're looking for a new research opportunity, check out the full list of open positions👇🏽

postdocprogram.mpg.de/node/3

Last week was #GradStudentAppreciationWeek – a chance to celebrate and thank the incredible Tian Lab students who move our science forward 🧑🏽‍🔬👩🏻‍🔬

Your creativity, focus & determination in the face of big questions inspire me every day, and I am so grateful to learn alongside you.