Faculty > Dennis E. Discher

Dennis E. Discher

Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, and Bioengineering; Member, Institute for Medicine and Engineering, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group; Adjunct Professor, Structural Biology--The Wistar Institute

B.S. , University of California, Davis, 1986
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, San Francisco, 1993

email:
phone: 215-898-9950
Discher Research Group

Current Focus of Research

Molecular and cell biophysics and polymer engineering. Among our latest studies are controlling stem cell differentiation with materials, shrinking tumors with drug-loaded polymersomes and worm micelles, developing new polymers for both purposes, single molecules studies of protein folding.

Honors, Awards, Editorial Boards:

• Jorge Heller Outstanding Paper Award Journal of Controlled Release (2004)
• F. W. Bessel Award from the Humboldt Foundation of Germany, 2003
• Heilmeier Research Award, 2003
• Science, Editorial Board Member
• National Academy of Engineering Invitee to 'Frontiers' Symposium, 2002
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, 1999
  

Selected Publications:

A. Engler, S. Sen, H.L. Sweeney, and D.E. Discher. Matrix elasticity directs stem cell lineage specification. Cell (to appear Aug. 25, 2006).

F. Ahmed, R. Pakunlu, G. Srinivas, A. Brannon, F.S. Bates, M.L. Klein, T. Minko, and D.E. Discher. Shrinkage of a Rapidly Growing Tumor by Drug-loaded Polymersomes: pH-Triggered Release through Copolymer Degradation. ACS - Molecular Pharmaceutics 3: 340-350 (2006).

D.E. Discher, P. Janmey, Y-L. Wang. Tissue cells feel and respond to the stiffness of their substrate. Science 310: 1139-1143 (2005).

Y-H. Kim, P. Dalhaimer, D. Christian, and D.E. Discher. Polymeric worm micelles as nano-carriers for drug delivery. Nanotechnology 16: S484-S491 (2005).

N. Bhasin, R. Law, G. Liao, D. Safer, J. Elmer, B.M. Discher, H.L. Sweeney, and D.E. Discher. Molecular extensibility of mini-dystrophins and a dystrophin rod construct. Journal of Molecular Biology 352: 795-806 (2005).

G. Srinivas, D.E. Discher, and M.L. Klein. Self assembly and properties of diblock copolymers via coarse grain molecular dynamics. Nature Materials 3: 638-644 (2004). With accompanying News and Views by R. Lipowsky.

A. Engler, M. Sheehan, S. Sen, C. Bonnemann, H.L. Sweeney, and D.E. Discher. Myotubes Differentiate Optimally on Substrates with Tissue-like Stiffness: Pathological Implications of Stiff or Soft Microenvironments. Journal of Cell Biology 166(6): 877-887 (2004). ** With accompanying Editor's Highlight. And Highlight in Nature **

D.E. Discher and A. Eisenberg. Polymer Vesicles. Science 297: 967-973 (2002). Cover Article.

P. Carl, C. Kwok, G. Manderson, D.W. Speicher, and D.E. Discher. Forced unfolding modulated by disulfide bonds in the immunoglobulin domains of a cell adhesion molecule. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 98: 1565-1570 (2001).

H. Aranda-Espinoza, H. Bermudez, F.S. Bates, and D.E. Discher. Electromechanical limits of polymersomes. Physical Review Letters 87: 208301/pg.1-4 (2001)