Katie Young
PhD Proposal Presentation

Monday, March 25th, 2019, 1:00 pm
Roger A. and Helen B. Krone Engineering Biosystems Building, Room 100

Committee:

Dr. Todd A. Sulchek, Thesis Advisor (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Dr. John F. McDonald (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Dr. James Dahlman (Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University) Dr. Peng Qiu (Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University)
Dr. Wilbur A. Lam (Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University)

Title: Relating mechanical and genetic data at single cell level across the genome to investigate metastasis

Summary:

Nine out of every ten cancer-related deaths is caused by metastasis, but the molecular mechanisms driving this process are still not fully understood. Several studies have implicated that as a cell’s metastatic potential increases, cell stiffness decreases. Yet while certain genes that affect cell mechanics have been studied, a genome-wide study of networks that modulate cell biophysical properties has not been attempted. The long-term goal of this research is to understand the molecular and mechanical mechanisms driving metastasis. To reach this goal, a new methodology has been developed to combine mechanical and gene expression data for the same single cells. Additionally, a novel microfluidics approach for cell sorting based upon biophysical properties will be leveraged for the high-throughput discovery of genes linked to cell mechanics and metastasis. These approaches are leading to deeper understanding of how cellular mechanics are regulated within the context of networks of genes associated with increased metastatic potential. I will investigate this intersection with the following aims: 1) Create and validate a combined single cell mechanics and gene expression methodology, 2) Identify genes related to mechanical changes in cancer cells through GeCKO high-throughput mechanical screen and 3) Validate phenotypic and mechanotypic importance of genes of interest.