During her PhD studies, Yonghui Zhang researched the physical forces involved in biological processes at the single-molecule and single-cell level. Physical forces at the nanoscale play prominent roles in life processes involving proteins, cells, tissues and organs. Yonghui Zhang established Atomic Force Microscopy correlated with Artificial Intelligence (AFM+AI) to study how physical forces contribute to molecular nucleic acid assemblies, protein-protein interactions and cellular signalling in physiology and disease.

The new research findings reveal that physical forces determine the molecular assembly in nanotechnology and regulate the biochemical signalling in the immune response. The thorough investigation of physical forces in these processes will benefit the development of nanotechnology and medicine in the future.

The PhD study was completed Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Tuesday, 3 June 2025 at 13.15
Place: 1593-012, auditorium, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000
Title of PhD thesis: Probing Physical Forces Involved in Biological Processes at the Single-Molecule and Single-Cell Level
Contact information: Yonghui Zhang, e-mail: yonghui@inano.au.dk, tel.: +45 87150385
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Peter Hinterdorfer, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria
Professor Bart Hoogenboom, London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, United Kingdom
Professor Duncan Sutherland, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University (chair)
Main supervisor:
Associate Professor Ken Howard, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Denmark
Co-supervisor:
Professor, Mingdong Dong, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Denmark
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Natural Sciences/GSNS, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C