Yamuna Krishnan

Yamuna Krishnan is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on developing DNA nanodevices for quantitative chemical imaging of organelles, particularly mapping ion dynamics in lysosomes and acidic organelles.

• Key Contributions: Solved a 30-year problem in molecular sensing by quantifying lumenal calcium in acidic organelles, identifying the first human lysosomal Ca²⁺ importer.

Publications highlight her work in DNA-based fluorescent probes, lysosomal function, and tumor targeting via macrophage modulation. Her technology enables studies in live multicellular organisms and human patient cells.

• Recent articles: Acc. Chem. Res. (2024), Nat. Methods (2019), Nat. Nanotechnol. (2021), Sci. Adv. (2024).

She actively collaborates with institutions like the Institut Pasteur, delivering seminars on Intracellular Electrophysiology in 2025.