Harnessing Physiological Forces to Drive Stem Cell Fate & Function
Abstract
I will be elaborating about how physical cues are crucial to embryonic development, morphogenic events, and tissue organization, but methods to differentiate cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) mainly rely on chemical cues. As such, the role of substrate stiffness, fluid shear stress, and confinement was interrogated on stem cell derived endothelial cell differentiation efficiency and functionality. We find priming hiPSCs on compliant substrates, as opposed to traditionally used rigid plastic surfaces, promotes efficient endothelial specification in the absence of growth factor supplementation. Leveraging micropatterned domains, which restrict extracellular matrix accessibility, also enhances endothelial specification and early lineage organization. Finally, using a microfluidic platform, we find that primary cilia, a microtubule-based mechanosensor, is crucial to stem cell derived endothelial shear response. Collectively, we can investigate the role of biophysical stimuli on cell fate and function using a variety of engineering tools.
Biography
Quinton Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, Irvine. Quinton Smith received his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in
chemical engineering and his Ph.D. in 2017 from Johns Hopkins University in chemical and biomolecular engineering. His predoctoral research was supported by an NIH/NHLBI F-31 and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Additionally, he was named a Siebel Scholar in 2017. After completing his doctorate, he trained as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Hanna Gray Postdoctoral Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Smith joined the University of California Irvine in Spring 2021 and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a member of the Sue Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
Sponsored by the Michael and Roberta Berns Laser Microbeam Program
