Welcome to the El Khatib Lab!
The El Khatib lab integrates organic synthesis, photophysics, and chemical biology to create molecular tools for quantitative measurements of chemical processes in living systems. We are applying our probes to investigate the cellular microenvironment and to uncover the mechanisms underlying the radiobiological FLASH effect.
Research areas
Responsive Optical Probes
We design membrane-anchored luminescent probes that optically report on chemical signals in the cellular microenvironment in real time.
Radiation Chemistry and FLASH radiotherapy
We investigate how species in transient chemical environments induced by radiation influence biological responses, focusing specifically on radiotherapy (RT) using ultrahigh dose rates, known as FLASH RT.
Chemical processes govern every aspect of life, yet many are not observable using conventional analytical tools. Our goal is to create functional organic molecules that make these invisible processes visible, measurable, and ultimately understandable. By integrating organic synthesis, chemical biology, and quantitative imaging, we develop molecular technologies that reveal how local chemistry regulates cellular function, disease progression, and influences responses to therapy.