Cellular Backpacks: A fundamental investigation of cell-material interactions.

Adebowale, Omokolade, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is made as part of the FY 2021 Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (MPS-Ascend). Each fellowship supports a research and training project at a host institution in the mathematical and physical sciences, including applications to other disciplines, under the mentorship of a sponsoring scientist. This fellowship to Dr. Omokolade Adebowale supports his research project entitled " Cellular Backpacks: A fundamental investigation of cell-material interactions." The host institution for the fellowship is Harvard University, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Samir Mitragotri. Dr. Adebowale's research focuses in the study of how the physicochemical properties of cellular ‘backpacks’, and the biophysical properties of cell membranes, regulate cell-backpack interactions that lead to enhanced cellular functions. The ‘backpacks’ consist of two key structural components: a payload carrying region, and a cell-adhesion region. The goals are to optimize the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of the structural components, study how cell-membrane properties impact cell-backpack interactions, and to investigate how these properties mediate cellular functions. The outcomes of the research will be broadly disseminated through websites, social media, conferences, technical papers, and at the annual Cambridge Science Festival. The plan to broaden participation of underrepresented minority groups in mathematical and physical sciences includes partnering with graduate students and postdocs in the Boston-area to provide mentorship for undergraduates applying to graduate school. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.