SCALIS: Connecting the scales in time and space in tissue response to light-induced stimulations

In tightly connected tissues, constituting cells constantly communicate with neighboring cells to coordinate the various complex tasks in response to the ever-fluctuating environment. Accurate prediction of these tissues' long-term behaviors, due to many challenges inherent to biological systems, remains an unclaimed prize. In this project, Tran proposes to investigate the tissue behaviors starting from two very different yet convoluting intracellular components: the biophysical signal transduction pathways and the gene regulatory network. The project will employ cutting-edge techniques in live imaging and smart photonic material, combined with tools of biophysics, bioinformatics, computational biology. The research will converge to a tissue model that connects tissues' functioning from their structure. This power is promising in addressing many clinical problems beyond fundamental research and fostering scientific engagements among different disciplines and with the curious public.