Host: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Babli was trying to understand the role of actin in tissue mechanics during Drosophila embryogenesis during her internship in Prof. Adam Martin’s lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Multicellular organisms originating from a single cell, has to undergo a myriad of mechanical transformation to acquire its final form and function. Epithelial cells in embryo have polarized actomyosin structures acting as ropes which are responsible for stable contractile force generation to undergo desired mechanical change. How do the differential levels of actin and its dynamics regulates cellular constriction, stretching or intercalation across a tissue is not yet understood properly. She aimed to answer these questions using various gene knockdown experiments along with destabilizing actin dynamics using drugs and finally supporting the data with quantification modeling. Understanding this behavior can have a direct implication to understand and treat various diseases related to development as well as angiogenesis which involves similar tissue mechanics.
