Weems Lab
Department of Molecular Biosciences
University of Texas at Austin
How does cell shape determine cell fate?
seeking to understanding the role cell morphology plays in signal transduction
and to
discover the molecular systems that use these phenomena to regulate cell fate
Tools
We use cutting edge lightsheet microscopes built in-house to perform quantitative subcellular 3D imaging of both live cells embedded in biomimetic 3D microenvironments in vitro and large cleared samples of intact tissue from mice and other sources in vivo. We process these data using advanced computer vision-aided 3D image analysis pipelines, such as u-shape3D.
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Collaboration across broad disciplinary divides allows us to train and work at the cutting edge of these technological advances in microscopy, computer science, and cell biology, a privilege accomplished and sustained through the building of long-term collaborative relationships based on shared curiosity and mutual respect.
Bleb Signaling
Our current research is focused on
bleb signaling, a novel morphology-regulated signaling pathway which cancer cells use to inappropriately survive and spread through the body. We've found that blebs (pressure-driven hemispherical protrusions of the plasma membrane) generate specific surface topographies that attract curvature-sensing septin complexes which, once recruited to the plasma membrane by blebbing, form robust signaling scaffolds. In a research article recently published in Nature (Article, News and Views), we showed that amoeboid melanoma cells rely on this signaling, with inhibition of blebbing or septin function resulting in cell death. We're currently working to explore the contributions of this pathway in cancer drug resistance, cancer disease progression, and in non-cancer cells.
