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

January 2012: We have a new publication in WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol - Srinivasan and Kumar, Ordered and disordered proteins as nanomaterial building blocks.

January 2012: Sophie is awarded a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) predoctoral fellowship for 2012. This competitive award comes with substantial financial support and will enable her to participate in special training opportunities through the Berkeley Stem Cell Center. Congratulations, Sophie!

December 2011: Anuj finishes his Ph.D. Congratulations, Dr. Patel!

December 2011: We have a new publication in JRS Interface – Sen et al., Contributions of talin-1 to glioma cell-matrix tensional homeostasis. 

October 2011: We have a new publication in Stem Cells –  Keung, DeJuan et al., Rho GTPases mediate the mechanosensitive lineage commitment of neural stem cells. 

September 2011: Sophie passes her qualifying exam and advances to Ph.D. candidacy. Congratulations, Sophie!

September 2011: Theresa moves on to a postdoctoral fellowship in the Lauffenburger Lab at MIT. Congratulations and best wishes, Theresa!

August 2011: We have a new publication in Integrative Biology – Patel et al., Microtopographical assembly of cardiomyocytes.

July 2011: Sanjay receives tenure and is promoted to Associate Professor. A sincere thanks to all members, collaborators, and friends of the laboratory for an incredible first six years.

July 2011: We have a new publication in Biomaterials - Ananthanarayanan et al., Elucidating the mechanobiology of malignant brain tumors using a brain matrix-mimetic hyaluronic acid hydrogel platform.

June 2011: In January, Sanjay attended the BMES-SPRBM Conference on Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, where he gave a talk and participated in a roundtable discussion on the future of the field.   The BMES journal Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering has now published the meeting program and minutes of the roundtable discussion.

Archive of past news and announcements from the Kumar Lab

Lab Meeting Schedule

Resources for lab members