Mechanical phenomena affect nearly every aspect of cellular biology and function, yet the underlying mechanisms of how mechanical forces and biochemical signals interact is not clearly understood. We are interested in understanding the molecular basis of cell mechanics and mechanotransduction and shedding light on the role of these processes in human disease. Our specific attention is on the role of two macromolecular systems in cellular function, namely the integrin-mediated focal adhesions at the interface between the cell and extracellular matrix (ECM) and the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Focal adhesions are the immediate sites of cell interaction with the extracellular matrix, and as such they play a key role in mechanosensing and mechanotransduction at the the edge of the cell. Nuclear pores could also play a role in the overall process of cellular mechanotransduction by exquisitely controlling the material transport in and out of the nucleus, thereby regulating the gene expression and protein synthesis. Our current projects are as follows:
