Sharonda LeBlanc
Bio
Dr. LeBlanc earned her PhD in Nanoscale Science from UNC Charlotte in 2012 where she explored the effects of proximal electric fields on single quantum dot fluorescence using time-resolved confocal microscopy. She moved on to a Postdoc at UNC Chapel Hill (2014 – 2020) where she used single molecule Förster/fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) to study protein – nucleic acid interactions involved in DNA repair. As a postdoc, she spent half of her time working at NC State with Professor Weninger. Dr. LeBlanc joined the NC State Physics faculty as an Assistant Professor in Fall 2020.
Area(s) of Expertise
Dr. LeBlanc is fascinated by the large numbers of protein machines called enzymes that coordinate to carry out complex biological processes. Her research focuses on understanding the molecular details of essential pathways. The LeBlanc lab seeks to uncover precisely how individual proteins interact with their binding partners, how those interactions are modulated by dynamic conformational changes, and how enzymes fail in complex diseases such as cancer. Dr. LeBlanc’s research approach will utilize confocal microscopy with time-correlated single photon counting to study these fast biological processes at the single molecule level. Of particular interest are the protein – nucleic acid interactions involved in the ribosome assembly pathway. She is also interested in exploring biological sensing applications with quantum dots.
Publications
- Film formation of two-dimensional hybrid perovskite using resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation , AIP Advances (2026)
- A combined PIE-FRET and FCS assay to monitor RNA dynamics and cleavage by SARS-CoV-2 Nsp15 , Research Square (2025)
- BPS2025 - Monitoring AAA-ATPase-mediated ribosome assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with PIE-FRET imaging , Biophysical Journal (2025)
- BPS2025 - Probing nuclear mechanics across cell division through protein diffusion , Biophysical Journal (2025)
- Design and Characterization of DNA-Driven Condensates: Regulating Topology, Mechanical Properties, and Immunorecognition , ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2025)
- Mechanical Coupling With the Nuclear Envelope Shapes the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Mitotic Spindle , Cytoskeleton (2025)
- Quantitative single-molecule FLIM and PIE-FRET imaging of biomolecular systems , BMC Methods (2025)
- A practical guide to time-resolved fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy , bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (2024)
- MitoTracker: A useful tool in need of better alternatives , European Journal of Cell Biology (2023)
- Recurrent mismatch binding by MutS mobile clamps on DNA localizes repair complexes nearby , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020)