Tingrui Pan
Assistant Professor
Biomedical Engineering
(530) 754-9508
Lab: (530) 754-6641
tingrui@ucdavis.edu

Webpage: MiNIsys Lab Website

Major research interests:

Bio-Artificial Micro/Nanosystems for Glaucoma

Wireless implantable micro/nanosystems are of particular importance in ophthalmology where the limited anatomical space requires miniature surgical instruments and implants.  Our ongoing research focuses on implementing a clinically implantable glaucoma diagnostic and therapeutic system.  The ultimate goal of the implant is to dynamically monitor intraocular pressure and effectively manage aqueous humor outflow.  The integrated system consists of a real-time passive pressure monitoring device, and a pressure-responsive nano-artificial drainage device, which can automatically adjust its own fluidic resistance according to the change of pressure gradient.

Bio-Mimetic Micro/Nanosystems

The field of bio-mimetics has attracted considerable attention recently.  This is due to the ingenious ways in which nature has solved its evolutionary challenges through natural selection.  We are particularly interested in transferring existing nature?™s designs into our micro/nano world development.  Several designs are currently under the investigation, including biological attachment systems (e.g., cockleburs and gecko foot-hairs), micro-propulsion systems (e.g., microorganism flagellation), bio-optic systems (e.g., insect compound eyes), and bio-nanofluidics (e.g., blood circulation systems of insects).

(530) 752-6700 - Office
(530) 754-0325 - Lab
Office 2315 GBSF

lsaiz@ucdavis.edu

Saiz Lab

Cells use networks of interactions between molecules and macromolecular assemblies to sense and respond to their environment. Biological networks are extensively regulated and control fundamental cellular processes, including gene expression and signal transduction, in all types of organisms, from bacteria to humans. Disruption of the regulation mechanisms is responsible for many human diseases, such a cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.

Leonor Saiz's research involves the study of the dynamics of biological networks at the cellular and molecular level. Dr. Saiz group combines computational and theoretical approaches together with experimental data to (1) understand how cellular behavior arises from the physical properties and interactions of the cellular components; and to (2) infer detailed molecular properties, such as the in vivo DNA mechanics, from the cellular physiology. By developing novel methodologies that consider multiple spatial and temporal scales and multiple levels of biological organization, including atomic, molecular, and cellular, our work has provided new avenues to integrate the molecular properties of cellular components directly into the dynamics of cellular networks. We focus on gene regulation and signal transduction networks, as well as their combined networks, to understand their regulatory mechanisms for proper cell function and how regulation is disrupted in cancer and other diseases. The work of Leonor Saiz group is highly interdisciplinary, drawing from techniques and tools from physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, biomedicine, and engineering. The ultimate goal is to understand and follow the impact of molecular perturbations in the cellular components, such as a mutation in a protein or interventions with small molecules or drugs, through the different cellular processes up to the cellular behavior; one of the major challenges of modern biomedical sciences.

Soichiro Yamada
Assistant Professor
Biomedical Engineering
(530) 754-7521
Lab: (530) 752-7828
syamada@ucdavis.edu

Website: http://yamadalab.ucdavis.edu

Major research interests:

Our laboratory is interested in how cells interact with each other during tissue morphogenesis and remodeling. Cell-cell interactions are mediated by cell-cell adhesion and cytoskeletal proteins that coordinate cell movement during gastrulation or epithelial tube formation.  Aberrant loss of cell-cell adhesion leads to unrestricted cell movement that allows invasion into other tissues, a key step in progression of metastatic cancer.  While cells in isolation have been extensively studied, their multi-cellular behavior still remains ambiguous. This is primarily due to the complexity of molecular interactions, signaling and cytoskeletal reorganization that results from cell-cell adhesion. Our focus is to understand molecular mechanisms of cell-cell adhesion and cytoskeletal organization that dictate the coordinate behavior of cells in tissues and organs.