Beth L. Pruitt
Academic Appointments
- Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
- Member, Bio-X
Key Documents
Contact Information
- Academic Offices
Alternate Contact Doreen Wood Email Tel Work 650-723-4133
Professional Overview
Honors and Awards
- Denice Denton Emerging Leader Award, Anita Borg Institute (2010)
- Young Faculty Award, DARPA (2009)
- CAREER Award, NSF (2005)
Postdoctoral Advisees
Wendy Altman, Cindy Chung, Tom Larsen, Jens Moeller, Alexandre Jose Soares Dos Santos Ribeiro
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Internet Links
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
The Pruitt microsystems lab works on custom measurements and analysis systems for small scale metrologies including scanning probe microscopy, biomechanics and mechanotransduction assays. We study the mechanics and biology of the sense of touch in C. elegans, the mechanisms and forces of cell adhesion, and the development and response of stem cells and cardiac myocytes to mechanical loading. We design and fabricate most of our own tools and sensors and are interested in the reliable manufacture and operation of micromachined sensors and actuators in harsh environments, measuring nanoscale mechanical behavior, and the analysis, design, and control of integrated electro-mechanical systems. We leverage new tools and answer novel questions in our lab in the areas of physiology, biology, stem cells, neuroscience and cardiology with an eye toward quantitative and fundamental biophysics.
Publications
- Formation of composite polyacrylamide and silicone substrates for independent control of stiffness and strain. Lab Chip. 2013; (4): 646-9
- MEMS-based force-clamp analysis of the role of body stiffness in C. elegans touch sensation. Integr Biol (Camb). 2013; (6): 853-64
- Microactuator device for integrated measurement of epithelium mechanics. Biomed Microdevices. 2013; (1): 117-23
- Sacrificial layer technique for axial force post assay of immature cardiomyocytes. Biomed Microdevices. 2013; (1): 171-81
- Spatial patterning of endothelium modulates cell morphology, adhesiveness and transcriptional signature. Biomaterials. 2013; (12): 2928-37
- E-cadherin is under constitutive actomyosin-generated tension that is increased at cell-cell contacts upon externally applied stretch. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012; (31): 12568-73
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