How tissues sense and respond to force

The Taneja Lab investigates how cells utlize an interconnected network of force-sensitive proteins to convert mechanical forces into complex cellular behaviors that drive tissue form and function, with a particular focus on force-sensing mechanisms at the actin cortex. Our work utilizes developing Drosophila embryos and human cardiac and cancer cells, combining super-resolution microscopy, live imaging, laser ablation, genetic perturbations, and quantitative image analysis to link molecular-scale changes in cytoskeletal composition and dynamics to tissue-scale behaviors in physiological and pathological contexts.