BIOMATERIALS & MECHANOTRANSDUCTION

Nanoscale Biomaterials for Stem Cell Osteogenesis and Focal Adhesion Signaling
MSCs are induced to differentiate into osteogenic fate by culturing on advanced nanostructured biomaterials and the regulatory role of focal adhesion signaling is investigated with MSCs displaying FAK-shRNA or overexpression.

Mechanical Loading Control of Bone and Stem Cell Fate and Cytoskeleton-Nucleoskeleton Mechanosensor
Osteoblasts and stem cells are manipulated to express altered cytoskeletal-nucleoskeletal tension sensors, ROCK and Nesprin, and exposed to fluid shear and mechanical stretch to reveal the mechanotransduction mechanisms of skeletal development/homeostasis.

Geometric-Molecular Integrative Control of Cadherin Cell-Cell Interaction
Cell-cell junction is co-manipulated by cell micropatterning (isolated vs. connected) and molecular engineering (silencing and overexpression of Cadherins) to examine the role of intercellular interaction in bone and stem cell fate decision in both static and dynamic cultures.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Developmental Mechanobiology for Obesity
MSC adipogenesis is inhibited by mechanical cues (stretch, fluid flow) and soluble factor (retinoic acid) and co-regulatory role of BMP, FAK/ROCK/Nesprin/Cadherin, and RAR is tested to understand mechanical-biochemical crosstalk in MSC adipogenesis for obesity study.

Adipocyte Stretch Mechanotransduction for Insulin Signaling and Type 2 Diabetes
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. 

Traumatic Brain Injury and Neural Regenerative Medicine
An in vitro impulsive cell pressurization device is developed to investigate traumatic injury conditions of human neural cells.  Neural regenerative medicine is pursued by utilizing graphene and micropatterned biomaterials and by applying stretch, fluid shear, and ultrasound to neural precursor cells.

Microfluidics for Bone Cell Mechanotransduction and Stem Cell/Cancer Cell Migration
A novel multichannel microfluidic device mimicking in vivo microflows is designed to test fluid shear effects on bone cells.  Stem cell rescue of damaged cells and cancer cell migration/metastasis are investigated via novel biomimetic flow-stretch multi-mechanics platforms.


Lim Lab Research Gallery

     Vinculin focal adhesion          Bone mineral staining             Nanopit topography                Cell on nanoislands

   Cell interaction with ECM     Fluid flow over cells (FEM)      Silencing FAK by shRNA        Cell modulus map (AFM)   

         hMSC adipogenesis         Collagen micropatterning    4-arm interconnected cells       Cellular neurogenesis

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