Using novel optical tools, our goals are to understand cell motility and the regulation of cell shape. Regulating cell shape is important for many essential functions, including immunological defense (movie). We pioneered laser-based nanotechnologies, including optical tweezers, nanotracking, and laser-tracking microrheology. Applications range from physics, pharmaceutical delivery by phagocytosis (cell & tissue engineering), bacterial pathogens important in human disease and cell division.

As Director of Imaging and Microscope Facility, I have additional research projects related to microscopy. We've just gotten funded grants for an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a multiphoton fluorescence microscope which will be housed in the Rangos building basement. Not only will these instruments be newly purchased, we will enhance them so that they are absolutely state-of-the-art. Finally, we will develop a laser-based super-resolution technology that could image fluorescent proteins with molecular spatial resolution.