24 ACUMEN • SPRING 2024 Cells are the fundamental building blocks of life. Humans are composed of trillions of cells, which are responsible for everything from regulating our growth and immune responses to creating hormones, extracting nutrients from food, and providing the structure for our bodies. Yet, there are still vast gaps in what researchers know about cells—including their signaling methods. Aurelia Honerkamp-Smith, assistant professor of physics, and Damien Thévenin, associate professor of chemistry, are working to change that with help from a five-year, $1.5 million National Institutes of Health grant to define and predict how cells sense and respond to fluid flow. The pair are also examining the method by which lipids and proteins travel in response to fluid flow. This stage of the project is focused on endothelial cells, which line blood vessels, transport nutrients and gases, and regulate body processes including blood pressure, bone density, and Going with the Flow PATRICK O’DONNELL Chemistry, physics researchers join forces to unravel mystery behind cell signaling and lipid membrane movement SREEJA SASIDHARAN
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