experimental biology · imaging · computation | cell.codes
I'm Lucas Dent. I work in experimental and computational cell biology to understand how cells and tissues are built. Recently, my research has combined machine learning and imaging with multi-omics and computation to study cell growth, inflammation, geometry, and transcription factor signalling. I also study developmental genetics, focusing on cell proliferation and tissue maintenance.
Multi-site cancer spheroid reproducibility study
We developed a multi-site system to study treatment responses in 3D melanoma spheroids. We tested the effects of the MEK inhibitor binimetinib and the pathway activator TPA on ERK signalling across four research centres. The image shows changes in ERK pathway signalling across treatments and sites.
The GTPase regulatory proteins Pix and Git control tissue growth via the Hippo pathway
We found two proteins, called ARHGEF7 and GIT1 in humans, that control tissue growth in animals. The image shows an example of how changing these proteins can change the size of an insect wing.
The dPix-Git complex is essential to coordinate epithelial morphogenesis during development
We found two proteins, called ARHGEF7 and GIT1 in humans, that control tissue integrity and structure. The image shows epithelial spheres fusing when the level of these proteins is changed.
Informatics approaches to 3D imaging reveal how cells respond to their environment
We found cytoskeleton signalling and RhoGTPase controlling proteins, including FARP1, control cell shape in response to the geometry and stiffness of the local environment. The image shows how destroying microtubules with nocodazole changes cells, especially in soft distal environments.
Machine learning approaches to quantify and understand cellular morphology
We used geometric deep learning to find how cell shape signalling changes across thousands of cells after more than 150 gene knockdowns. The image shows how images of cells are turned into point clouds, which is the first step in feeding data into a neural network.
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I run Untold Labs for data-rich problems in biology and medical research, from a single analysis to a larger project.