Molecular and cell dynamics and mechanics
The Kumar laboratory investigates molecular cell dynamics and mechanics, with a focus on understanding how the cellular cytoskeleton governs cell shape and senses and transduces mechanical inputs. We take both "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches to this important problem, including: (1) Probing reconstituted systems of cytoskeletal filaments to understand how filament biochemistry and biophysics influences network organization; and (2) Observing and manipulating intact, living cells to learn how cytoskeletal properties drive and respond to the behavior of the whole cell. Our work takes advantage of optical and atomic force microscopy, subcellular laser ablation and photobleaching, microfabricated substrates, traditional biochemical and cell biological methods, and computational tools.
Many disease processes involve dysfunctional self-assembly or outright aggregation of macromolecules; the details of these interactions bear directly on pathophysiology and guide therapeutic engineering. BCSDP trainees would become involved in these areas of investigation.
