Elliot Botvinick, Ph.D., Professor, UC Irvine, "Photonic investigations of cell-tissue physical interactions"
Speaker:
Elliot Botvinick, Ph.D.
Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Surgery, Beckman Laser Institute,
Associate Director of the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation Cardiovascular Innovation and Research Center
University of California, Irvine
Title: Photonic investigations of cell-tissue physical interactions
Abstract:
Material stiffness is a well-established instructive cue in two-dimensional cell culture. However, studying cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions within three dimensional fibrous systems, such as those comprising collagen or fibrin, is challenging, particularly if local peri-cellular mechanical properties cannot be measured. Our research group uses tools such as optical tweezers active microrheology (AMR) to make such measurements. During my seminar, I will present our light-based methods for non-invasive patterning of ECM molecular crosslinking, multi-axes AMR, micro-cavitation rheology, and what we call the “floppy scope”. These methods allow us to generate local stiffness gradients while directly measuring associated stiffness anisotropies during the evolution of a tissue model. As examples, I will present our findings in capillary morphogenesis and cell-mediated local stiffness changes and will briefly discuss our method for recovering fibrin or collagen fibers that were not detected by confocal reflection microscopy, as is relevant to the topics above.
Bio:
I am a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Surgery at the University of California Irvine. Research in my laboratory focuses on biophotonics in mechanobiology and medical device innovation. For example, we use optical tweezers to study how cells react to and remodel local tissue stiffness as is relevant to cancer, tissue morphogenesis, and wound healing. Related to medical devices, we have developed a hair-thin sensing platform designed to simultaneously measure multiple analytes. We have recently completed a clinical study of exercise and type 1 diabetes using a lactate + glucose embodiment of this technology. Together with UCI collaborators, we are developing clinical units to additionally measure the ketone β-hydroxybutyrate, insulin, and pH, as well as a new technology for infusing insulin. We have also developed a pediatric middle ear diagnostic tool that has been spun out into our startup company Cactus Medical.
