How is a cell created from its molecular constituents?  Individual proteins are typically only a few nanometers in size.  Without a blueprint or an architect, these tiny molecular parts organize themselves in a dynamic and self-correcting manner to form precise cellular structures that may be four or five orders of magnitude larger.  Understanding the proper spatial and temporal arrangement of macromolecules in cells, the large-scale coordination of their functions, and the choreography of their movements requires the discovery of organizational principles and mechanisms that work at a cellular scale, over the rapid time-frames consistent with life processes. 

The research of our group explores the mechanics and dynamics of cell self-organization and movement in a variety of cells ranging from bacteria to fish skin cells.  Our current work focuses on three areas:  1) the actin-based motility of intracellular bacterial pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, 2) the whole-cell crawling of epithelial cells and leukocytes, and related processes such as phagocytosis in macrophages, and 3) the dynamics of cellular organization in bacteria and diatoms.  A strength of our work is its highly interdisciplinary nature, bridging cell biology, microbiology, and biophysics.  By studying diverse questions in diverse biological systems, using both bottom-up approaches (biochemical reconstitution, single-molecule force measurements, mathematical modeling) and top-down approaches (genetic and pharmacological perturbations, quantitative video-based analysis of cell movement, shape, and mechanical coupling), we aim to develop a broad conceptual understanding of the organizational rules that give rise to large-scale cell structure and coordinated movement.