Harsimran Kaur
Track
Research Frontiers
Faculty Mentor
Amrinder Nain
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Research Focus:
My research project is on the study of the adhesion protein dynamics of the cells on the suspended fiber network. The important physiological processes such as morphogenesis, wound healing, and metastasis involving cellular migration, are dependent on the cell-cell interaction. The interaction between the cells guides them to give a particular response. The classical study by Abercombie and Heaysman showed that on a 2D surface the interaction between the fibroblast cells resulted in “contact inhibition locomotion.” However, it is well known that the cells inside our body are having a 3D fibrous network instead of a 2D flat surface. Interestingly, the cellular response varied when cell-cell interaction was studied over the extracellular matrix -mimicking suspended fibers. It was recently reported by Singh et. al. that the fibroblast cells on the fibers walk past by shifting their bodies around each other.
Recently, it was reported that this cellular response is mainly controlled by the adhesion proteins present in the cells. We rationalize that the spatial arrangement and temporal adaptation of the adhesions at the poles of the cells favor this walk past outcome of the cellular interaction. Thus, we will quantify the adhesion dynamics on fibers of varying diameters using the lattice light-sheet microscope Further, we will interrogate if contact inhibition locomotion outcomes between large and small area cells result in walk-past or repulsion of smaller cells-a significant leap in describing wound healing, and cancer cell invasion along with fibrous substrates. We also propose to determine the cellular forces exerted by the cells on the fibers using Nanonet force microscopy.
Why did you choose to pursue postdoctoral training at Virginia Tech?
Virginia Tech consistently ranks as a premier research environment. I choose to pursue my postdoctoral training here as I get an opportunity to work on cutting-edge science and work in a highly collaborative yet competitive environment. All these combined with the charm and warmth of Blacksburg, made me choose Virginia Tech. I believe these experiences will help me become an individual scientific investigator in academia in the future.
What are you most looking forward to as you begin in this fellowship at Virginia Tech?
I am looking forward to the scientific environment at Virginia Tech. I expect this fellowship program will offer extensive professional development opportunities, including public speaking, community organization, grant writing, media relations, and leadership skills. The funding will help me broaden my experience beyond my biochemistry expertise in interdisciplinary scientific areas of mechanobiology and biophysics. The fellowship will also allow me to present my research and network at leading conferences.