Jacob Malin

Research/Areas of Interest

Morphogenesis, the process by which tissues and organs attain their structure, requires intricate coordination of molecular forces to ensure that cells achieve the proper number, shape, and position. Protrusive and contractile forces generated by actomyosin networks play an essential role in this process, allowing cells to alter their positions and their contacts with neighbors. The phosphatase Pten acts on PIP3, a membrane lipid with a role in controlling membrane expansion, and mutations in Pten cause defects in tissue development. I am studying the mechanisms of Pten's role in regulating the balance of contraction and protrusion for proper epithelial development.