Dr. Kobayashi leads an interdisciplinary research group that integrates physics, machine learning, and genomics to investigate dynamic biological processes at single-cell resolution. The lab develops new optical and molecular tools to reveal how cells self-organize into complex multicellular structures—such as embryos and tissues—and to elucidate immune-cell function within the tumor microenvironment. The group is particularly focused on a “live-cell omics” approach that measures genome-wide expression in living single cells, which is nearly impossible with conventional omics methods. These methods enable longitudinal tracking of genomic changes in individual cells, illuminating the molecular mechanisms of cell-fate determination and disease progression. The lab also builds next-generation, label-free microscopes that reduce the long acquisition times of conventional instruments, opening new possibilities for large-scale studies of molecular dynamics in vitro and in vivo.