Tissue Morphodynamics Lab: Week 6

So this is final addition to my three part post. The sixth week was just as exciting and new as the fourth week, as I was given a new project to work on for the rest of my stay. Needless to say, I had to do a little bit more reading of reviews and articles to understand the basics of cell mechanobiology, but it was all very similar to the reading I did the previous summer at a Head and Neck Cancer Lab at UCLA. The post-doc, Jason P. Gleghorn, and the graduate student, Sriram Manivannan, explained to me their hypothesis, their prediction, and their results so far regarding cellular motility and cellular divisions along an axis. It was essentially the same topic I listened in a group meeting two weeks before.

The specific aim of their research is to understand the mechanics behind cellular division and how rotational axes and endogenous stress affects the division of cells.

In addition to culturing, dissecting, fixing, imaging, and analyzing chicken lungs, I was given the task to analyze their image data of hundreds of 250 micron by 250 micron squares of cells over a 12 hours period in 6 minute intervals. There are 121 images per time lapse that are compile into a TIF file and then analyzed using Imaris, a cell tracking program. Then using MatLab, the data of all the positions of the parent and daughter cells are compiled into an image that shows the overall positions of all the time lapses.

Imaris program. Tracking the parent cell. 

Imaris program, Tracking the two daughter cells. 

Jason usually deals with compiling the data, whereas Sriram used to analyze the images as well as create 2D patterns, culture the cells, and produce the images on the confocal microscope over the weekends. Now that I'm analyzing the majority of the images, he has more time to write up his paper regarding cell motility as well as prepare for group meetings and conferences.

In addition to analyzing the image data, I am also learning 2D patterning, micro-fabrication of PDMS masters using lithography, and culturing mammalian cells in vitro. It is all very interesting also a flood of information. For the moment I am learning the basic steps and making sure that I understand the procedure before I attempt to make a pattern by myself.

Over this past week I have looked at about 60 or so time lapses of cells on 250 by 250 micron squares. I have just finished the control, and after analyzing the data in MatLab, the results shows a shape that closely resembles that of a square with rounded edges. The data is all very interesting and it is exciting to analyze the data as no one knows what the results will be or how different drugs that affect endogenous stress will affect the overall patterning of the divisions.