BME Seminar Series: Matthew Paszek, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University

Matthew Paszek will present "The mechanobiology of the cancer cell glycocalyx"

Title: "The mechanobiology of the cancer cell glycocalyx"

ABSTRACT

Physical forces generated by and acting upon cells and tissues are now known to directly influence the way tumors grow, develop, and metastasize.  This understanding has motivated a surge of interest in utilizing the unique mechanical phenotypes of tumors as clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets.  With these goals in mind, I will discuss our recent efforts to develop new tools to investigate what role mechanical forces play in organizing signaling biomolecules at molecular length scales.  Combining our innovative technologies with approaches from computational biology and cell biology, we have now begun to dissect how changing patterns of glycosylation and glycoprotein expression in cancer alter cell surface receptor function at nanometer length scales.  Recently, we’ve found that the biophysical properties of the glycocalyx can play a major role in aggressive, lethal cancers.  I will discuss these findings and suggest how factors, such as diet, metabolism, and sugar biosynthesis are critical determinants of the cellular mechano-phenotype.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Paszek studied chemical engineering and biology as an undergraduate at Cornell University.  He continued his graduate studies in bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, where he investigated the mechanobiology of cancer under the mentorship of Drs. Daniel Hammer and Valerie Weaver.  Dr. Paszek expanded on his graduate studies as a Postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Weaver, during which time he developed new methods for nanoscale cellular imaging and identified the glycocalyx as a novel mechanical regulator of cancer cell biology.  Dr. Paszek is currently junior faculty in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University, where he continues to develop new optical technologies and experimental approaches for understanding the physical basis of diseases, such as cancer.