C. elegans and C. roseus; 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.
We are also collaborating with Dr. Carolyn Lee-Parsons’ group in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering to understand the transcriptional regulation of specialized metabolism and to improve production of drug compounds by the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus.
Mechanobiology
How cells sense and respond to forces.
Cell Migration
How cell movements form organs.
Specialized Metabolism
How plants make defense compounds.
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 to engineer the production of plant specialized metabolites.
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