The focus of this research group is to create enabling methods that allow the characterization of dynamic phenomena in cells and tissues. Many perturbations in cellular physiology, particularly at the genomic and proteomic levels, are transient in nature and thus frequently overlooked by traditional molecular techniques. We have invested significant effort in the development of tools to enable real-time monitoring of intracellular phenomena in mono- or multi-cellular systems. Specifically, we have engineered a large library of reporter cell lines, which act as living reagents to monitor critical components the the cellular transcriptional network and other cell signaling pathways. By culturing these reporters in microfabricated arrays, we have produced "Living Cell Arrays" that enable us to exert exquisite control over the cellular microenvironment while characterizing complex cellular responses in real-time. Although this approach has application to a wide variety of medical problems, we are currently investing the majority of our effort in the areas of inflammation, hepatic steatosis, and ischemia reperfusion injury.

Recent publications include:

1. King KR, Wang S, Irimia D, Jayaraman A, Toner M, and Yarmush ML. A high-throughput microfluidic real-time gene expression living cell array. Lab on a Chip, 7, 77, 2007.

2. Wieder KJ, King KR, Thompson DM, Zia C, Yarmush ML, and Jayaraman A. Optimization of reporter cells for expression profiling in a microfluidic device. Biomedical Microdevices, 7, 213, 2005.

3. Thompson DM, King KR, Wieder KJ, Toner M, Yarmush ML, and Jayaraman A. Dynamic gene expression profiling using a microfabricated living cell array. Analytical Chemistry, 76, 4098, 2004.