Michael SHEETZ
Founding Director and Collaborator, Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Affiliations
Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UTMB Health
Jake Matthew Turley
Schmidt AI In Science Postdoctoral Fellow, Chan Group
Nicole Ng Shu Ying
Research Assistant, Hirashima Group
Jevon Tan
PhD Student (DBS), Low Group
Chang Ye Ji
PhD Student, Biomedical Engineering Dept, Holle Group
Gao Xu
PhD Student, Biomedical Engineering Dept, Holle Group
Michael Sheetz
Collaborator
Research Areas
Cell migration, cell-cell and cell-substrate interaction
Research Interests
The morphology of cells, organs and whole organisms is determined by the generation of forces on the immediate environment, which is either extracellular matrix or adjacent cells. We are currently engaged in studies to understand the detailed molecular mechanisms involved in a variety of phenomena from cancer metastasis to brain function. Further, we are developing several new tools and protocols for measuring cell forces at the molecular level, which are revealing many new aspects of how cells can both generate and respond to external forces. We have an effort underway to define quantitatively the steps involved in cell adhesion to and spreading on a matrix-coated surface. Using a variety of cell lines that are missing proteins in various motility pathways, we are determining the quantitative changes in the spreading process. This will enable us to generate a detailed model of the process of spreading that will be a model for further studies of how cells differentiate, regenerate tissues or metastasize.
Biography
Hailing from Columbia University, Prof Michael Sheetz has more than 40 years’ experience in the biomedical field. Introduced to Singapore by Prof Hew Choy Leong of the National University of Singapore’s Department of Biological Sciences, Prof Sheetz was sought to lead an RCE project. This resulted in a two-year effort to organise and submit a proposal on Mechanobiology where Prof Sheetz set the theme and direction of the Mechanobiology Institute (MBI). As Founding Director of the MBI, he led the institute for 10 years and built it into a world-leading research centre in the field of mechanobiology.
Education
PhD California Institute of Technology
Recent Publications
- Jain K, Kishan K, Minhaj RF, Kanchanawong P, Sheetz MP, and Changede R. Immobile Integrin Signaling Transit and Relay Nodes Organize Mechanosignaling through Force-Dependent Phosphorylation in Focal Adhesions. ACS Nano 2025;. [PMID: 39760672]
- Lin S, Changede R, Farrugia AJ, Bershadsky AD, Sheetz MP, Prost J, and Rupprecht J. Membrane Tilt Drives Phase Separation of Adhesion Receptors. Phys Rev Lett 2024; 132(18):188402. [PMID: 38759206]
- Jain K, Minhaj RF, Kanchanawong P, Sheetz MP, and Changede R. Nano-clusters of ligand-activated integrins organize immobile, signalling active, nano-clusters of phosphorylated FAK required for mechanosignaling in focal adhesions. bioRxiv 2024;. [PMID: 38464288]
- Jain K, Pandey A, Wang H, Chung T, Nemati A, Kanchanawong P, Sheetz MP, Cai H, and Changede R. TiO2 Nano-Biopatterning Reveals Optimal Ligand Presentation for Cell-Matrix Adhesion Formation. Adv Mater 2024;:e2309284. [PMID: 38340044]
- Jain K, Lim KYE, Sheetz MP, Kanchanawong P, and Changede R. Intrinsic self-organization of integrin nanoclusters within focal adhesions is required for cellular mechanotransduction. bioRxiv 2023;. [PMID: 38045378]
- Oh D, Liu X, Sheetz MP, and Kenney LJ. Small, Dynamic Clusters of Tir-Intimin Seed Actin Polymerization. Small 2023;:e2302580. [PMID: 37649226]
- Qin R, Melamed S, Yang B, Saxena M, Sheetz MP, and Wolfenson H. Tumor Suppressor DAPK1 Catalyzes Adhesion Assembly on Rigid but Anoikis on Soft Matrices. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:959521. [PMID: 35927990]
- Jain K, Kanchanawong P, Sheetz MP, Zhou X, Cai H, and Changede R. Ligand functionalization of titanium nanopattern enables the analysis of cell-ligand interactions by super-resolution microscopy. Nat Protoc 2022;. [PMID: 35896742]
- Toh PJY, Lai JKH, Hermann A, Destaing O, Sheetz MP, Sudol M, and Saunders TE. Optogenetic control of YAP cellular localisation and function. EMBO Rep 2022;:e54401. [PMID: 35876586]
- Oh D, Chen Z, Biswas KH, Bai F, Ong HT, Sheetz MP, and Groves JT. Competition for shared downstream signaling molecules establishes indirect negative feedback between EGFR and EphA2. Biophys J 2022;. [PMID: 35430415]
Lab Members
Jiang Yanqige
Research Assistant, Yan Jie Group
Song Xin Jie Steph
Research Assistant, Li Group
Chan Lab shares latest work on ovarian mechanobiology at SCBS Launch
Our talented PhD student, Boon Heng, giving great poster presentation to a gathering crowd at the Society for Cell Biology Singapore (SCBS) Launch.
Chan Lab at ACRLE Conference 2022
Congrats to Vinod, who shared the latest work on macrophage-ECM interaction during ovarian ageing.
Building a mechanobiological signaling scaffold for the heart
A collaboration between MBI scientists and clinical researchers revealed how a scaffolding protein integrates biochemical and mechanical signals to control cardiac muscle cell differentiation. Learn more
Guiding random events to create resilient patterns
A study from the Saunders lab uncovers how random cell fusion events during muscle development are regulated at the tissue level to ensure correct patterning of the muscle architecture. Learn more
MBI welcomes August 2022 Ph.D. Students
MBI receives 11 new Ph.D. students for the MBI Programme in Mechanobiology, a rigorous four-year graduate programme focused on mechanobiology, biophysics and bioengineering.
Farewell to Hugo Raveton
It’s been a great privilege to have Hugo Raveton with us from Jan - July 2022. All the best to your future endeavour!
MBI welcomes new PI Tsuyoshi Hirashima
MBI is pleased to receive Dr. Tsuyoshi Hirashima as a new Principal Investigator, with a joint-appointment as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology, NUS School of Medicine.
Chan Lab dinner and welcoming interns!
Finally, the lab dinner that is long overdue :) And a warm welcome to the summer interns!
MBI welcomes MUST 2022 Interns
MBI hosts 12 new interns for the MBI Undergraduate Summer Training (MUST) Programme, a 2-month internship exploring mechanobiology.
Latest publication on tissue hydraulics in reproduction is out!
Joe and Tsuyoshi Hirashima (incoming PI) reviewed recent advances in our understanding on how fluid dynamics shape mammalian oogenesis and spermatogenesis.
