Research Interests

Mitotic spindle and cell division

Research Area

In the Woolner Lab, we are exploring how our bodies are regulated by their physical environment. This is important because our cells and tissues are constantly being pushed and pulled and it is vital that they sense and respond to these mechanical forces appropriately to maintain normal tissue function. This is important because many common diseases, such as cancer, alter the mechanical properties of our tissues, often through changes to the extracellular matrix.

Current Members

Woolner, Sarah (Principal Investigator/Director) Contact

Additional Information

We use a combination of biological and mathematical approaches to understand how mechanical force regulates cells and tissues. For many of our experiments we use a tissue from the embryo of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). This tissue, called the animal cap, provides a beautiful “real-world” tissue, similar to many in our bodies, which we can study in vivo but can also culture ex vivo. We have developed tissue-stretch systems to apply reproducible force to ex vivo tissue whilst simultaneously live imaging dynamic cell behaviours. We can combine these experimental approaches with new mathematical modelling to analyse how cells within the tissue are sensing and responding to mechanical force.

Contact

Institution: Wellcome Matrix Center, University of Manchester

Address:
Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Matrix Research
School of Biological Sciences
University of Manchester
Manchester
M13 9PT, United Kingdom

Web Page: https://www.wellcome-matrix.org/people/sarah-woolner/