Prof. Douglas A Lauffenburger

Molecular cell bioengineering: the application of engineering approaches to develop quantitative understanding of cell function in terms of fundamental molecular properties, and to apply this understanding for improved design of cell-based technologies. The group focuses on elucidating important aspects of receptor-mediated regulation of mammalian blood and tissue cell behavioral functions such as proliferation, adhesion, migration, and macromolecular transport. A central paradigm of the work is development and testing of mechanistic models -- based on principles from engineering analysis and synthesis -- for receptor regulation of cell function by exploiting techniques of molecular biology to alter parameters characterizing receptor or ligand properties in well-characterized cell systems. Quantitative experimental assays are used to measure cell function and receptor/ligand interaction parameters. Problems are motivated by health care technologies of interest to pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies.

Professor Lauffenburger is also collaborating with the Tidor group to design improved protein therapeutics, including cytokines and antibodies, based on computational modeling across the combined molecular and cellular level.