CMCB Life Sciences Seminar: Piconewton-sensitive biosensors to investigate adhesion mechanics in cells

To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying cell adhesion mechanics, we developed a set of single-molecule‒calibrated biosensors that are sensitive to physiologically relevant forces in the low piconewton range. These biosensors are genetically encoded and can be utilized to determine molecular forces acting across individual molecules in cells. In my seminar, I will describe how their application to the focal adhesion protein talin and the desmosomal molecule desmoplakin revealed fundamental differences in how distinct adhesion molecules modulate intracellular force transduction.