Research
The Lombardo Lab's Findings
Our research focuses on using biophysics and cell biology techniques to address how cells produce and maintain polarity.
The cells' plethora of proteins and lipids need to be delivered to the correct place at the correct time for cells to polarize. Understanding how cells accomplish this transport is a long term aim of the lab. We've characterized how myosin motors deliver intracellular cargo along the dense three-dimensional networks of actin filaments found within cells. We've focused on the molecular functions of both muscle and non-muscle types to find conserved principles. By merging a physics perspective with biochemical tools we create a unique interdisciplinary approach to studying these amazing proteins. In the Lombardo lab we employ the technical expertise in cytoskeletal motor biochemistry, single molecule biophysics, super-resolution imaging, and the programing of new image analysis toolsets to ask how these tiny molecular motors function.
We've paired our motor work with the characterization of signaling pathways required to define cell shape. Cells' use polarity signaling molecules to indicate the correct location and time to build their tissue specific morphology. These signaling molecules act in concert with the essential membrane-actin crosslinkers ezrin, radixin and moesin (ERMs) and the cytoskeletal organizer RhoA. Collectively, the findings from these studies indicate that separate GAPs are localized on a scale previously unappreciated (100-200nm) to locally regulate signaling pathways required for cell polarity and morphology. The Lombardo Lab is looking to understand how the cell manages to regulate these processes on such a minuscule scale.
What are the mechanisms cells use to define cellular polarity to build physiologically and morphologically correct tissues?
Join us in answering this question!
The Lombardo Lab is growing! We're looking to add new members who are excited to join our group. See our contact page to reach out if you're interest in being a part of the Lombardo Lab's latest Science!