Samuel Dembowitz
BME MS Thesis Defense Presentation
Date: 2025-03-24
Time: 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Location / Meeting Link: IBB 3316

Committee Members:
Professor Ahmet Coskun (Advisor); Professor Costas Arvanitis; Professor Shuichi Takayama


Title: Evaluation of Spatial Omics and Mechanotransduction in Disease States

Abstract:
The visualization of mechanotransduction pathways within cells and tissues of different disease states was completed. Atherosclerosis and cancer were the two diseases analyzed using this framework. Cell-ECM and Cell-Cell connections were examined using fluorescent markers in several other experiments. These experiments considered the cell density, the age/development of the sample, and the microscope settings to ensure comparable analyses. Data was collected using several rounds of microscope imaging with careful alignment for accurate multiplexing. The images were stitched together for qualitative measurements while computer programs completed analytical processes to quantify gene or protein expression. Most antibodies used were conjugated with NaveniLink to measure protein-protein interactions. Live tension plate imaging was achieved using a DNA hairpin plate that created “shadows” of cell membrane tension. Hybridization Chain Reaction (HCR) was combined with the tension signaling to produce illustrations that showed differences in gene expression relating to tension. Results from the NaveniLink imaging indicated a characteristic amount of expression among different protein-protein pairs that changed based on the cell/tissue type. Similarly, the amount of gene expression found within the HCR experiments changed with the tension signal present, indicating a unique amount of tension that can be linked to gene expression. While mostly qualitative, the results provide a foundation for future studies to build upon to understand the mechanical properties of cells and tissues. These findings suggest a link between gene/protein expression, tension signaling, and the progression of cancer or atherosclerosis.