Cell migration and mechanotransduction in the C. elegans reproductive system: cell biology at the interface of engineering
Our laboratory uses the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo system to explore how mechanical forces are sensed and interpreted by cells. We are collaborating with Dr. Hari Parameswaran’s group in Bioengineering to understand how cells in a tissue communicate and coordinate their contractility, and with Dr. Ronen Zaidel-Bar at Tel Aviv University to understand how the tubes and valves that make up the reproductive system form and function.
Mechanobiology
How cells sense and respond to forces.
Cell Migration
How cells know when and where to be
Calcium signaling
Coordination of smooth muscle contractility
Lab / Research Overview
Signaling
Protein Kinase A (PKA) is a critical regulator of cell contractility. We are exploring how PKA coordinates calcium signaling and cytoskeletal organization in C. elegans.
Imaging
We are developing methods to quantify forces in the stretch-sensitive and responsive tissues of the C. elegans reproductive system.
Engineering
We are using CRISPR and other techniques to understand the genes that control cell migration and contractility.