This research will study two areas: Mechanisms of cell motility, and molecular action of ion channels in cell membranes. It has three specific foci: i) the motility of mammalian cells; ii) the motility of bacterial cells; and iii) electrophysioiogy of ion channels. The work will also develop new experimental methods for examining these biological phenomena and processes. These developments will emphasize microtools, fabricated using a combination of soft lithography, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), microfluidics, and electrochemistry. These projects are tied together by three common themes: motility, sensing, and new, microfabricated tools for biology/biochemistry. The work will have three broad outcomes. It will clarify the molecular and cell physiological mechanisms of motility in mammalian and bacterial cells. It will provide new systems for studying ion channels, it will develop new tools to support these studies, and demonstrate these tools in the context of biological problems. These studies are relevant to a number of areas of biology in which an understanding of the mechanisms of cellular motility and cellular sensing are important; from fundamental studies of development, metastasis, angiogenesis, and infectious disease to applications in cell-based sensors and tools for high-throughput screening of leads. The work spans biology, microfabrication, and biophysics, and an important product of the research will be students broadly trained in biological and physical sciences.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01GM065364-01A1
Application #
6558516
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BECM (01))
Program Officer
Lewis, Catherine D
Project Start
2003-02-01
Project End
2007-01-31
Budget Start
2003-02-01
Budget End
2004-01-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$309,522
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard University
Department
Chemistry
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
082359691
City
Cambridge
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02138
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Norton, G V; Novarini, J C (2007) Modeling ultrasonic transient scattering from biological tissues including their dispersive properties directly in the time domain. Mol Cell Biomech 4:75-85
Dai, Han; Shen, Nan; Arac, Demet et al. (2007) A quaternary SNARE-synaptotagmin-Ca2+-phospholipid complex in neurotransmitter release. J Mol Biol 367:848-63

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