Jonathan Baker Ph.D. Associate Professor; INBRE Principal Investigator/Director; Interim Chair, Department of Pharmacology, Nevada
Research We use single molecule techniques (TIR fluorescence microscopy and optical traps) to study how mechanoenzymes like actin and myosin transfer chemical free energy to mechanical work and inversely how they convert mechanical signals into chemical responses. We are particularly interested in understanding how the mechanochemical behaviors of single molecules scale up to the mechanochemical behaviors of bulk cellular systems. We use mathematical and computer models to integrate our multi-scale experimental studies, developing self-consistent descriptions of muscle contraction, intracellular transport, and mechanical signal transduction. Ongoing Research Support NIH R01 HL0909038 A Multi-Scale Study of the Interplay Between Fore Generating and Force Sensing Mechanisms. $1,354,712 NIH COBRE Smooth Muscle Plasticity – a COBRE Renewal. $750,000.