Meni Wanunu
Professor,
Physics
Professor,
Bioengineering
Affiliated Faculty,
Chemical Engineering
Office
- 329 ISEC
- 617.373.7412
Research Focus
Our group investigates biomolecules at the single-molecule level. We develop nanopore-based and other nanotechnology-based methods for probing the structure and dynamic behavior of biomolecules. We employ optical waveguides and single-molecule enzymatic approaches for RNA sequencing, and utilize engineered nanopore sensors for applications in single-molecule proteomics. We are experimentalists, but we also use advanced computational tools to perform big data analysis.
Education
- PhD, Chemistry/Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, 2005
Research Overview
Our group investigates biomolecules at the single-molecule level. We develop nanopore-based and other nanotechnology-based methods for probing the structure and dynamic behavior of biomolecules. We employ optical waveguides and single-molecule enzymatic approaches for RNA sequencing, and utilize engineered nanopore sensors for applications in single-molecule proteomics. We are experimentalists, but we also use advanced computational tools to perform big data analysis.
Selected Research Projects
- Direct RNA sequencing using electro-optical zero-mode waveguides and custom click fluorescent nucleotides
- – Principal Investigator (R01), National Institutes of Health
- Single-Chain nanopores for electroosmotic stretching and sequencing proteins
- – Principal Investigator (R01), National Institutes of Health
- Synthetic mRNA Control Set for Nanopore-Based Pseudouridine Modification Profiling in Human Transcriptomes
- – Co-investigator, National Institutes of Health
- Engineering Tunable Portal Hybrid Nanopores for High-Resolution Sequence Mapping
- – Principal Investigator, Oxford Nanopore Technologies
- Multiplexed electronic counting of scarce protein targets using nucleic acid nanoparticles
- – Co-Principal Investigator, National Institutes of Health
Selected Publications
- “Unidirectional Single-File Transport of Full-Length Proteins Through a Nanopore.” Yu L, Kang X, Li F, Mehrafrooz B, Makhamreh A, Fallahi A, Foster JC, Aksimentiev A, Chen M, Wanunu M. Nature Biotechnology 41, 1130–1139 (2023).
- Kang X, Wu C, Alibakhshi MA, Liu X, Yu L, Walt DR, Wanunu M. ACS Nano, 17, 5412–5420 (2023).
- “Threading single proteins through pores to compare their energy landscapes.” Tripathi P, Firouzbakht A, Gruebele M, Wanunu M., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, 119 (39) e2202779119 (2022).
Oct 03, 2025
Fall 2025 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
Several COE, COS, and Khoury students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Fall 2025 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Sep 23, 2025
2025 Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2% of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above.
Aug 04, 2025
Uncovering Hidden Consistency in Cellular Research Models
COS/BioE Professor Meni Wanunu and BioE Associate Professor Sara Rouhanifard’s research on “Pseudouridine reprogramming in the human T cell epitranscriptome: from primary to immortalized states” was published in RNA. In their study comparing pseudouridine (ψ) profiles in primary human T cells and Jurkat cell lines, they found that while 87% of core RNA modification patterns are conserved, the remaining 13% differ in biologically significant ways, suggesting immortalized cells are a surprisingly consistent yet imperfect model for study.
Jun 04, 2025
Patent for Hybrid Nanopore Technology for Biomolecule Sensing
COS/BioE Professor Meni Wanunu received a patent for “Lipid-free anchoring of thermophilic bacteriophage G20c portal adapter into solid-state nanopores.”
Jan 31, 2025
2024 Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2% of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above. The list below includes those who published a paper in 2024 or later.
Jun 05, 2024
Patent for Single-Molecule Protein Analysis
COS/BioE Professor Meni Wanunu received a patent to create a “Method and system for linearization and translocation of single protein molecules through nanopores.”
May 08, 2024
2024 URF Scholars Recipients
Several engineering students received 2024 URF Scholars Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. URF Scholars are students who are graduating this year and who have earned a PEAK Experiences Award, applied for a distinguished fellowship, or participated in graduate school advising.
Mar 19, 2024
Patent for Hybrid Nanopore Design Enhances Biodetection
COS/BioE Professor Meni Wanunu received a patent for “Lipid-free anchoring of thermophilic bacteriophage G20C portal adapter into solid-state nanopores.”
Mar 14, 2024
$4.2M NIH Award for Developing Tools To Analyze Individual RNA Molecules
COS/BioE Professor Meni Wanunu and BioE Assistant Professor Sara Rouhanifard, in collaboration with Anna-Marie Pyle from Yale University, were awarded a $4.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) for “Direct RNA Sequencing Using Electro-optical Zero-mode Waveguides and Custom Click Fluorescent Nucleotides.”
Mar 05, 2024
Wanunu Receives Northeastern NAI Innovator of the Year Award
COS/BioE Professor Meni Wanunu received the Innovator of the Year award from the Northeastern University chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Daniel Braconnier, a recent mechanical engineering PhD graduate, received the student innovator award.