Research Projects

Cell migration is a crucial biological process that regulates various biological processes. It can be categorized into single cell migration and collective cell migration. Collective cell migration is the ability of groups of cells to move together and affect each other's behavior through stable or transient cell-cell connections. It plays a significant role in developmental processes, tissue remodeling, homeostasis, and various diseases. In contrast, single cell migration involves interactions with their environment and neighboring cells, forming temporary cellular extensions. Collective cell migration is largely independent of individual cell interaction and governed by the interaction of each cell with the global external stimulus. Coordination and cooperation between migrating cells are key ingredients for collective cell migration. Drosophila border cells are an example of collective cell migration, a cluster of 8-10 follicular cells that form at the anterior of the egg chamber during egg chamber development. spectrin, a heterotetrameric protein complex, is used to study collective cell migration in a live 3-D environment. spectrins interact with F-actin to create a super scaffold, which is essential for cell shape and migration mechanisms. singed, the mammalian homolog of Fascin, is overexpressed in border cells and is overexpressed in border cells. Recent research has shown that singed affects border cell migration with vinculin and Arp2/3 complex. Further studies are in the advanced stages of manuscript preparation to explore the mechanisms and effects of these interactions.