I'm developing an assay for metastatic cancer based on a cell's response to biologically functionalized surfaces. Specifically, I'm looking at the response of cancer cells to the membrane protein, ephrin. One of the receptors for this protein, EphA2, is overexpressed in many metastatic breast cancers, though the causal relationship between this receptor's activation and the metastasic transformation remains unknown. By adding ephrin to a supported lipid bilayer, we can activate EphA2 and follow the signaling pathway through a non-cancerous cell. We can also follow the signaling pathway through a metastatic cancer cell to determine where the signaling pathway breaks down. In the future, we hope to use the differential response of metastatic and non-metastatic cells to these surfaces to develop an assay for metastatic cancer.



  Favorite Scientist: Linus Pauling