Faculty > Dennis E. Discher

Dennis E. Discher

Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Bioengineering; Member, Institute for Medicine and Engineering; Graduate Groups in Physics and Cell and Molecular Biology; 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:

Controlling stem cell differentiation with polymeric materials, effects of shape in NanoBio extending to RNAi delivery, shrinking tumors with polymersomes and wormlike micelles, ‘Marker of Self’ protein studies to understand and exploit immunocompatability, and novel mass spectrometry based studies of the ‘Foldome.'

Honors, Awards, and Editorial Boards:

• Invited speaker to nearly 50 Gordon Research Conferences, topics ranging from polymers to cell biology
• Melville Lecture – University of Cambridge, 2009
• National Academy of Engineering – Germany Joint Symposium Speaker, 2008
• Jorge Heller Outstanding Paper Award – Journal of Controlled Release, 2004
• F. W. Bessel Award – Humboldt Foundation of Germany, 2003
• Heilmeier Research Award, 2003
• Science, Editorial Board Member
• Invitee to 'Frontiers' Symposium – National Academy of Engineering, 2002
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, 1999
  

Selected Publications (from approximately 150 publications with more than 5000 citations):

Y. Kim, M. Tewari, D. Pajerowski, S. Cai, S. Sen, W. Jason, S. Sirsi, G. Lutz, D.E. Discher. Polymersome delivery of RNAi and antisense oligonucleotides. Journal of Controlled Release 134: 132–140 (2009). ** Cover Article **

R. Tsai and D.E. Discher.  Inhibition of ‘Self’ Engulfment through deactivation of Myosin-II at the Phagocytic Synapse between Human Cells Journal of Cell Biology 180: 989-1003 (2008).  ** Cover Article **

C.P. Johnson, H-Y. Tang, C. Carag, D.W. Speicher, and D.E. Discher.  Forced unfolding of proteins within cells. Science 317: 663-666 (2007). 

Y. Geng, P. Dalhaimer, S. Cai, R. Tsai, M. Tewari, T. Minko, and D.E. Discher.  Shape effects of filaments versus spherical particles in flow and drug delivery. Nature Nanotechnology 2: 249-255 (2007).  

J.D. Pajerowski, K.N. Dahl, F.L. Zhong, P.J. Sammak, and D.E. Discher.  Physical plasticity of the nucleus in stem cell differentiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science – USA 104: 15619-15624 (2007). 

A. Engler, S. Sen, H.L. Sweeney, and D.E. Discher.  Matrix elasticity directs stem cell lineage specification. Cell 126: 677-689 (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)