{"277441":{"#nid":"277441","#data":{"type":"event","title":"YOUNG INNOVATORS in Biomedical Engineering, Adam J. Engler, University of California, San Diego","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdam J. Engler, PhD University of California, San Diego\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFebruary 25, 2014, 11am \u201412 pm, Whitaker 1103\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVinculin Mechanosensing and its Role in Differentiation, Disease, and Aging\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Cells respond to the passive and active mechanics of their surrounding niche from the onset of fertilization through senescence. Their response is regulated by cell contractility but ultimately interpreted by a variety of nuclear- and adhesion-based mechanisms that convert biophysical information, e.g. niche stiffness, to biochemical cues. Here I will describe how one adhesion protein\u2013vinculin\u2013acts as a \u201cmolecular strain gauge,\u201d i.e. it opens and closes under force. I will highlight vinculin\u2019s role in regulating cell responses ranging human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) differentiation to age-associated diastolic dysfunction in Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly. While hMSC differentiation into skeletal muscle is regulated by vinculin opening up cryptic MAPK1 binding sites at optimal niche stiffness, vinculin\u2019s role in age-associated diastolic dysfunction appears to be more structural with expression and localization changes perturbing the cytoskeleton to ultimately adversely affect heart relaxation and impair chamber filling. In these examples, I will also illustrate how our findings have influenced the translation of cell-based therapies or the identification of novel therapeutic targets in humans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYoung Innovators in Biomedical Engineering brings the brightest and most promising researchers in the field of biomedical engineering to campus. The seminar series is sponsored by the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Vinculin Mechanosensing and its Role  in Differentiation, Disease, and Aging"}],"uid":"27182","created_gmt":"2014-02-19 16:27:52","changed_gmt":"2017-04-13 21:23:08","author":"Adrianne Proeller","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2014-02-25T10:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2014-02-25T11:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2014-02-25T11:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2014-02-25 15:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2014-02-25 16:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2014-02-25 16:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"277461":{"id":"277461","type":"image","title":"Adam Engler","body":null,"created":"1449244151","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:11","changed":"1475894950","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:10","alt":"Adam Engler","file":{"fid":"198819","name":"engler_4_sciencehr.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/engler_4_sciencehr_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/engler_4_sciencehr_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3408219,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/engler_4_sciencehr_0.jpg?itok=pVVRtqgq"}}},"media_ids":["277461"],"groups":[{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"176","name":"aging"},{"id":"569","name":"bioengineering"},{"id":"2548","name":"biomedical"},{"id":"6890","name":"cellular biology"},{"id":"1489","name":"Regenerative Medicine"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1795","name":"Seminar\/Lecture\/Colloquium"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78751","name":"Undergraduate students"},{"id":"78761","name":"Faculty\/Staff"},{"id":"78771","name":"Public"},{"id":"174045","name":"Graduate students"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}