The Kumar Laboratory
Welcome to the home page of the Kumar Laboratory in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley! 
We address problems in molecular cell dynamics and mechanics, with a focus on understanding how the cellular cytoskeleton governs cellular structure and senses and transduces mechanical inputs from the extracellular environment. We are especially interested in exploring these issues in the nervous system, including neuronal and glial tumors and adult neural stem cells. We take both "inside-out" and "outside-in" approaches, including: (1) Studying and manipulating the microscale assembly and mechanics of cytoskeletal networks in reconstituted and live-cell preparations; and (2) Fabricating extracellular matrices that present defined biophysical cues to cells and determining how these cues influence cell physiology. Our work takes advantage of optical and atomic force microscopy, subcellular laser ablation and photobleaching, microfabrication, traditional biochemical and cell biological methods, and computational tools.
An increasing number of micro- and nanotechnologies either subject cells to mechanical forces, require cells to be patterned into specific spatial arrangements, or both, including a wide variety of MEMS and microfluidic devices and tissue engineering systems. Moreover, many disease states are characterized by altered biophysical crosstalk between cells and their environment. Thus, in addition to building a fundamental understanding of cellular mechanobiology, we envision applying what we learn to contribute to the rational design of cellular biotechnology and to the development of new forms of therapy.
News and Announcements
March 2008: Albert wins an Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award from the UC Berkeley Teaching & Resource Center. Congratulations, Albert!
February 2008: Elena departs for Spain to start her new faculty position at TECNUN/CEIT, University of Navarra. Good luck, Elena!
February 2008: Theresa, Anuj, Matt, and Elena present posters at the Biophysical Society meeting in Long Beach, CA.
January 2008: Sanjay's paper on nanomagnetic control of receptor-mediated signaling (work started when he was a postdoc with Don Ingber at Harvard) comes out in Nature Nanotechnology. Read about it here: http://focus.hms.harvard.edu/2008/012508/nanotechnology.shtm
January 2008: Joanna passes her preliminary exams. Congratulations, Joanna!
December 2007: Sanjay is named to the organizing committee of the AFM BioMed Conference, to be held in Monterey, CA, in October 2008. More information can be found here: www.afmbiomed.org
December 2007: Rosalía completes her visit and returns to Spain to defend her undergraduate thesis. She will begin a new position in London in January. Good luck, Rosalía!
Archive of past news and announcements from the Kumar Lab
Lab Meeting Schedule
Resources for lab members
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The Kumar Laboratory gratefully acknowledges grant support from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, the UC Cancer Research Coordinating Committee, the American Heart Association, the National Science Foundation, and the UCB Stem Cell Center, Research Futures Fund, and Junior Faculty Research Grant. We also gratefully acknowledge predoctoral fellowship support from the National Science Foundation and Department of Defense. |
