| My research is pioneering the field of mechanobiology in relation to axon guidance. The long-term goal of my research is to improve the functional recovery of central nervous system injury victims. I believe a major obstacle is an incomplete understanding of the interplay between the mechanical forces and the intracellular signaling events that guide axons. To address this deficit, I study well-defined micro-dissected mouse neurons with advanced super-resolution imaging and tools that measure and apply local pico-Newton strength forces (optical trapping and micro-pillar arrays). These findings will profoundly improve our basic understanding of axon guidance and therefore our ability to repair the injured nervous system.
Zhang, Christopher Lynch, Michael Sheetz (2012) Netrin-1 Attracts Axons
Through FAK-Dependent Mechanotransduction. The Journal of Neuroscience
Biais, Michael Sheetz (2009) Traction on Immobilized Netrin-1 is Sufficient
to Reorient Axons Science 325:166. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19589994
Moore, Michael P.
Sheetz (2011) Biophysics of substrate interaction: influence on neural
motility, differentiation and repair. Developmental Neurobiology 71:1090-101.
Roca-Cusachs, Michael Sheetz (2010) Stretchy Proteins on Stretchy
Substrates: The Important Elements of Integrin-Mediated Rigidity Sensing Developmental
Cell. 19:194-206. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20708583