BIOMATERIALS & MECHANOTRANSDUCTION

Nanoscale Biomaterials for Stem Cell Fate Decision and Focal Adhesion Signaling
MSCs are cultured on advanced nanostructured biomaterials (nanotopography, nanofiber) and the role of focal adhesion signaling (integrin, FAK) in determining MSC lineage commitment to osteogenesis and adipogenesis is investigated.

Mechanical Loading Control of Stem Cell Fate and Cytoskeleton-Nucleoskeleton LINC Mechanosensor
MSCs are exposed to fluid shear and mechanical stretch loading and the role of cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton linkage sensors, ROCK and LINC (Nesprin-SUN), in load-induced MSC mechano-transcription and resulting commitment and differentiation is investigated.

YAP Mechanotransduction Signaling for Mechano-transcription under Dynamic Mechanical Loading
Under mechanical stretch and fluid shear, the role of Hippo-YAP mechanosignaling in stem cell fate decision, adipocyte metabolic adaptation, and breast cancer cell migration is investigated with associated pathways of ROCK-F-actin and AMOT, FAK focal adhesion, a-catenin cell-cell junction, and Nesprin-SUN cytoskeleton-nucleoskeleton link.

Adipocyte Mechanotransduction to Regulate Insulin Metabolism in Obesity and T2D
Adipocytic precursors and differentiated adipocytes are exposed to physiologically relevant mechanical loading (cyclic vs. static stretching) and its effects on adipokine secretion and autocrine/paracrine insulin signaling cascades are examined to reveal the missing link between obesity and type 2 diabetes. 

Breast Cancer Cell Mechanosensing in Mechanically-driven Migration and Metastasis
Metastatic breast cancer cells are treated with flow shear stresses relevant to metastatic target tissues and the role of focal adhesion and cytoskeletal mechanosensors in breast cancer cell migration toward metastatic target cells such as bone, liver, and lung cells is investigated.


Lim Lab Research Gallery

     Vinculin focal adhesion          Bone mineral staining             Nanopit topography                Cell on nanoislands

   Cell interaction with ECM           Fluid flow over cells             Silencing FAK by shRNA         AFM cell modulus map  

         hMSC adipogenesis         Collagen micropatterning    4-arm interconnected cells       Cellular neurogenesis

   Cell orientation in 3D gel             Cell on nanofibers            MSC migration under flow       Cardiomyocyte beating

          AFM of adipocytes           Traction force microscopy       YAP nuclear localization         p-LATS Hippo signaling 

  GLUT4 glucose transporter       Lipidspot in adipocyte           Nesprin1 LINC complex