Forces have a profound role across all living systems, and many essential biological processes ranging from development and migration to mitosis and meiosis cannot proceed without precisely tuned mechanical signals. A major challenge to understanding chemo-mechanical couplings in biology pertains to the development of new materials and techniques to image forces in cells. Herein, I will describe the synthesis and characterization of fluorescence-based turn-on probes for imaging the molecular tension at the surface of living cells (Nat.Methods 2012). Force probes take advantage of fluorescence quenching as a "ruler", and an extendable linker as a reversible “spring” with a known constant. Using this technique, a standard fluorescence microscope can be used to quantify molecular tension at the cell membrane of living cells. In this talk, I will describe the development of second and third generation force probes that allow allows one to quantify molecular forces with high spatial and temporal resolution for a wide range of receptors and cell types. I will describe the application of these sensors to image forces associated with a range of mechano-regulatory processes that occur at the lipid membrane of the cell, such as endocytosis, Notch receptor activation, and integrin adhesion receptors.


Tuesday, November 26, 2013, 12:00. Seminar Room

Hosted by Prof. María García- Parajo