Current Research and Scholarly Interests
The goal of our laboratory is to determine how molecular-scale information encodes the shape and physical properties of cells, tissues, and whole organisms. To do so, we use a combination of sophisticated microscopy, single-molecule biophysics, and theoretical modeling to explore how information propagates upwards across biological length scales. Specific questions we are currently investigating include: 1) How do molecular-scale asymmetries encoded in individual proteins give rise to the emergent physical properties of the cell; and 2) How do cells coordinate their actions to shape organs and tissues? In helping to answer these general questions we hope to understand the physical principles that underlie the construction of complex, multicellular life. We anticipate that this knowledge will be highly relevant to the development of stem-cell-based therapies and to engineering complex, three-dimensional tissues in the laboratory.
