Cellular Biophysics of Neutrophils – Lessons from NETosis

Neutrophils are innate immune cells critical for host defense against pathogens. To accomplish their tasks, neutrophils need to build cell-scale responses to rapidly move, remodel, and interact with the microenvironment. These cell-scale functions require cells to generate and transmit physical forces. Our lab aims to understand how neutrophils generate the physical forces required for the effective execution of their functions in the physically challenging in vivo environment. Such knowledge will be critical for our long-term goal of controlling and re-engineering neutrophils functions to improve immune responses.