

in Molecular & Cell Biophysics and NanoBioPolymers
Invas'n-Mut'n Cancer: CurrBio 2017
Eng'd Macrophages engorge on Tumors: Current Biology 2017
Scar in a dish: Nature Materials 2015
Nano-Self: Science 2013
Nuc-StemCells-ECM: Science 2013
We are a diverse group of scientists & engineers with interests spanning molecular & cell biology and soft matter physics, including polymer nano-engineering. Students & Fellows pursue original research across these topic areas and many have progressed into positions in Academia and Industry (eg. Merck, Amgen, Genentech).
We are the lead Lab in a new Cancer Physics Center, supported generously by a highly competitive 5-yr award from the NIH's NCI (Nat'l Cancer Inst.).
We focus on Differentiation, Stem Cells, & Cancer: Collagens-Cytoskeleton-Nucleus-Genome connections as well as 'Marker of Self', Phagocytosis and Cell Membrane dynamics. Structures, interactions, and processes are studied in contexts ranging from short time scales (mechano-signaling, protein dynamics) to long time scales (expression, DNA repair, cell fates).
In Materials Biology & Drug/Gene Delivery, we develop and apply polymers in vivo as well as in vitro, from Block Copolymers for Self-Assembly/Nanoparticles (Polymersomes & Filomicelles) to Gels of Controlled MicroElasticity characterized by AFM among other physical tools.
Methods & Materials constantly evolve in the Lab but vary from additional Nano/Micro physical tools and super-resolution fluroescence to recombinants & mutants, synthetic polymers & peptides, and molecular profiling.
Lab publications listed chronologically by year.
Lab publications by number of citations.
Honors that reflect the many efforts of the Lab include :
- elected Member of the National Academy of Medicine (2015)
- elected Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (2015)
- elected Member of the National Academy of Engineering (2012)
discher 'at' seas dot upenn dot edu
skype:
dennis.e.discher
2019-06-18