About

Min Wu is an Associate Professor in Cell Biology at Yale University and the Principal Investigator of the Wu Lab. Born and raised in Nanjing, China, she completed her undergraduate degree in chemistry at Peking University. She earned her Ph.D. at Cornell University in the lab of Barbara Baird, where her research focused on the interface between patterned supported lipid bilayers and immune cells. Following her doctoral studies, she conducted post-doctoral training with Pietro De Camilli at Yale University, developing a cell-free reconstitution system for endocytosis. Min Wu began her independent academic career in 2011 as an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore, where she was promoted to tenured associate professor in 2018. During her tenure there, she served as a principal investigator at the Center for Bioimaging Sciences and the Mechanobiology Institute, and was recognized as a National Research Foundation fellow. In 2020, she joined the Department of Cell Biology at Yale University. The Wu lab's research centers on the study of single cell oscillations and travelling waves, membrane curvature, and cell size homeostasis. Her work integrates biophysical and cell biological approaches to understand fundamental processes in cell biology, particularly focusing on the dynamics of membrane and cytoskeletal organization. Her contributions include advancing knowledge of endocytosis mechanisms and the biophysical principles underlying cellular pattern formation and information processing.

Research topics

• Biology
• Natural resource economics
• Economics
• Chemistry
• Geometry
• Physics
• Environmental protection
• Mathematics
• Environmental science
• Ecology
• Biochemistry
• Biophysics

Selected publications

• Integrated single-cell transcriptomic atlas of human tricuspid and aortic valve diseases

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-04-14

  datasetOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  This dataset contains processed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from human tricuspid valve (TV) and aortic valve (AV) leaflets, including samples from tricuspid regurgitation (TR), calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), and corresponding controls. The dataset includes expression matrices, cell type annotations, and metadata. Data were integrated and analyzed to characterize cellular composition, transcriptional programs, and intercellular interactions across valve types and disease conditions. Original datasets were obtained from publicly available sources (HRA010091 and PRJNA562645). This resource is intended to facilitate further investigation into valvular biology and disease-associated transcriptional changes.

  PublisherDOI

• Distinct impact of PI(4)P flux on PI(4,5)P ₂ steady states and oscillations

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2026-02-17 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Plasma membrane (PM) phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P 2 ] regulates indispensable processes such as exocytosis, endocytosis, and actin cytoskeleton remodeling in eukaryotic cells. Since phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate [PI(4)P] has long been regarded as the primary precursor of PI(4,5)P 2 , perturbing PM PI(4)P is expected to impact the dynamics of PM PI(4,5)P 2 . Yet, recent evidence suggests that PM PI(4)P has a limited role in the synthesis and function of PI(4,5)P 2 . In this paper, we address this puzzling discrepancy by studying the collective dynamics of PM PI(4)P and PI(4,5)P 2 . Leveraging live-cell imaging, we observed periodic traveling waves of PI(4)P on the PM of mast cells, challenging the notion that this precursor lipid is spatially homogeneous at the PM. We then found that a reduction in PM PI(4)P synthesis rate attenuated PI(4,5)P 2 oscillation amplitude while conserving the total PM density of PI(4,5)P 2 . We assessed the functional consequences of PI(4,5)P 2 oscillation amplitude by examining its interplay with Rho GTPase Cdc42, which cooperatively regulates the filamentous actin (F-actin) cytoskeleton with PI(4,5)P 2 . We showed that both PM PI(4)P and PI(4,5)P 2 oscillations are coupled to oscillations of membrane-bound active Cdc42. Finally, we demonstrated that lowering PM PI(4)P synthesis rate alone was sufficient to reversibly quench Cdc42 oscillations and to suppress F-actin oscillations. These results suggest that, beyond the steady-state regime, oscillations of PI(4,5)P 2 and its effector proteins require a critical threshold of PI(4)P flux.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Integrated single-cell transcriptomic atlas of human tricuspid and aortic valve diseases

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-04-14

  datasetOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  This dataset contains processed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from human tricuspid valve (TV) and aortic valve (AV) leaflets, including samples from tricuspid regurgitation (TR), calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), and corresponding controls. The dataset includes expression matrices, cell type annotations, and metadata. Data were integrated and analyzed to characterize cellular composition, transcriptional programs, and intercellular interactions across valve types and disease conditions. Original datasets were obtained from publicly available sources (HRA010091 and PRJNA562645). This resource is intended to facilitate further investigation into valvular biology and disease-associated transcriptional changes.

  PublisherDOI

• The Double-Edged Sword Effect of Using AI - How the Usage of AI Shapes the Behavior of University Students

  Academy of Management Proceedings · 2025-07-01

  articleSenior author

  Artificial intelligence (AI) is a transformative technology shaping various sectors, including higher education. As key users of AI tools, university students are at the forefront of its social and academic implications. This study investigates how AI use influences student behavior, focusing on positive and negative outcomes. Grounded in Approach/Avoidance Systems Theory and Resource Conservation Theory, a two-path model was developed to explore the effects of AI use on academic self-efficacy, proactive behavior, and anxiety. Data were collected at three intervals from 936 Chinese university students. Results indicate that AI use enhances academic self-efficacy, fostering proactive classroom behaviors. Conversely, it can also induce anxiety, leading to knowledge hiding. Perceived teacher support for AI use mitigates anxiety, while high academic demands weaken the positive effects of AI use on self-efficacy. These findings highlight the complex interplay between AI use and student behavior, offering insights into the responsible integration of AI in higher education.

  PublisherDOI

• A Metabolism‐Oriented Strategy to Directly Generate Photosensitizer‐Engineered Extracellular Vesicles from Cancer Cells

  Advanced Materials · 2025-06-04 · 6 citations

  articleCorresponding

  Extracellular vesicles (EVs) hold great potential for delivering cancer therapy drugs. However, limited efficiency and sophisticated drug encapsulation procedures have hindered their effectiveness. Herein, β-D-glucose is modified with the synthesized photosensitizer (1-(4-carboxybutyl)-4-(7-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)benzo[c][1,2,5] thiadiazol-4-yl)pyridin-1-ium, named TB) via amide bond to form a glucose-conjugated photosensitizer, referred to as TBG, which is further utilized as a metabolic substrate for cancer cells. Through simple co-incubation with TBG, cancer cells directly generate TBG-engineered EVs in situ via a metabolism-driven process, in which glucose transporters play a critical role. Notably, a higher yield of engineered EVs is observed in TBG-treated cells compared to the TB-treated group. This enhancement could be attributed to increased glucose transporter activity and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, highlighting the significance of glucose-modified chemicals. Remarkably, this metabolism-driven strategy has been successfully validated across three cell lines, highlighting its versatility and broad applicability. The extracted TBG-EVs maintain a strong targeting ability toward cancer cells and demonstrate enhanced efficacy in photodynamic therapy for tumor ablation. The study offers an alternative strategy to efficiently produce cargo-loading EVs via direct biological metabolism.

  PublisherDOI

• SCAPE: An AI-Driven Platform for Comprehensive Single-Cell Data Analysis

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-11-16

  preprintOpen access1st author

  Abstract Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has transformed the study of cellular heterogeneity, but downstream analysis remains fragmented and technically demanding. Current pipelines often lack analytical diversity, require programming expertise, and offer limited integration of advanced methods. To address these challenges, we developed SCAPE, an AI-driven automated and interactive platform that unifies multi-omics, multi-resource, and multi-modal single-cell data analysis. SCAPE provides platform-independent installation, customizable workflows, and integration of R- and Python-based tools. Beyond Seurat and Scanpy, it incorporates modules for transcription factor and pathway inference, pseudotime trajectory reconstruction, spatial transcriptomics deconvolution, and cell-cell communication analysis. To demonstrate SCAPE, we curated a unified atlas of lung cancer progression in human patients and mouse models, spanning primary tumors and metastatic sites. The platform enabled harmonized integration, regulatory program inference, and spatial mapping, revealing conserved epithelial programs that promote metastatic seeding and organ-specific adaptations driven by microenvironments. Collectively, SCAPE offers an accessible and comprehensive framework for single-cell analysis, providing new insights into cancer progression and broad utility across biological systems.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• STIM1 and Endoplasmic Reticulum-Plasma Membrane Contact Sites Oscillate Independently of Calcium-Induced Calcium Release

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-03-17 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Calcium (Ca²⁺) release from intracellular stores, Ca²⁺ entry across the plasma membrane, and their coordination via store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE) are critical for receptor-activated Ca²⁺ oscillations. However, the precise mechanism of Ca²⁺ oscillations and whether their control loop resides at the plasma membrane or intracellularly remain unresolved. By examining the dynamics of stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1)-an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized Ca²⁺ sensor that activates the Orai1 channel on the plasma membrane for SOCE-and in mast cells, we found that a significant proportion of cells exhibited STIM1 oscillations with the same periodicity as Ca²⁺ oscillations. These cortical oscillations, occurring in the cell's cortical region and shared with ER-plasma membrane (ER-PM) contact sites proteins, were only detectable using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM). Notably, STIM1 oscillations could occur independently of Ca²⁺ oscillations. Simultaneous imaging of cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ and ER Ca²⁺ with SEPIA-ER revealed that receptor activation does not deplete ER Ca²⁺, whereas receptor activation without extracellular Ca²⁺ influx induces cyclic ER Ca²⁺ depletion. However, under such nonphysiological conditions, cyclic ER Ca²⁺ oscillations lead to sustained STIM1 recruitment, indicating that oscillatory Ca²⁺ release is neither necessary nor sufficient for STIM1 oscillations. Using optogenetic tools to manipulate ER-PM contact site dynamics, we found that persistent ER-PM contact sites reduced the amplitude of Ca²⁺ oscillations without alteration of oscillation frequency. Together, these findings suggest an active cortical mechanism governs the rapid dissociation of ER-PM contact sites, thereby control amplitude of oscillatory Ca²⁺ dynamics during receptor-induced Ca²⁺ oscillations.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Author response for "Nano-silver modified heterojunction of bismuth sulfide nanoflowers-titania nanorods for sensitively detecting alpha-fetoprotein"

  2025-03-24

  peer-reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• A molecular systems perspective on calcium oscillations beyond ion fluxes

  Current Opinion in Cell Biology · 2025-05-01 · 2 citations

  reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• A correlative quantitative phase contrast and fluorescence super-resolution microscope for imaging molecules in their cellular context

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-10-14

  preprintOpen access

  Fluorescence microscopy has been widely used to reveal the spatial distribution of specifically labeled molecules, but it is blind to cellular context. Quantitative phase contrast microscopy (QPC) provides such complementary information. Here we have developed a platform that combines the QPC technique of correlative orientation-independent differential interference contrast (OI-DIC) microscopy with single-molecule super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate a detection sensitivity of 0.05 nm optical path difference, sufficient to detect single microtubules, and show its capability of 3D super-resolution fluorescence imaging in the cellular context. Additionally, we report deep-learning enabled digital staining, identifying nuclei, mitochondria and lipid droplets from OI-DIC data and demonstrate the potential of this approach for long-term live-cell imaging of organelles of interest without the need for fluorescence. OI-DIC can be easily integrated into most fluorescence microscopes and is readily adoptable by microscopy labs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Maohan Su

  Yale University

  38 shared

• Xin Zheng

  Shandong First Medical University

  28 shared

• Susumu Tonegawa

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  22 shared

• Yujie Zhou

  21 shared

• Chee San Tong

  Yale University

  17 shared

• Pietro De Camilli

  16 shared

• Xiang Le Chua

  15 shared

• Luc Van Kaer

  13 shared

Labs

• Wu LabPI

Education

• B.S., Chemistry

  Peking University

• Ph.D.

  Peking University

Awards & honors

• National Research Foundation fellow