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DANIEL SUTER
| Associate Professor LILY 2-239 496-1562 CV: Link |
Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cell migration is a major goal in modern biology. Cell movements play a critical role during development, adult life and in various diseases. Important examples include the growing tip of a nerve cell process, the neuronal growth cone, and the invasive behavior of cancer cells. Our laboratory is currently focusing on the mechanisms of neuronal growth cone motility and guidance. Using the large growth cones of cultured Aplysia neurons as a model system, we investigate how the growth cone integrates its sensor, signaling and motility functions to achieve directional movements towards target cells and establish functional connections. Specifically, we would like to understand how extracellular signals, such as from cell adhesion molecules, are transduced inside the cell to affect the underlying cytoskeleton. These changes ultimately determine speed and direction of growth cone movement. Our current studies aim at the understanding of the dynamics and role of Src tyrosine kinases as well as of microtubules in adhesion-mediated growth cone steering. We are also analyzing the biophysical properties of growth cones with Atomic Force Microscopy. We use a combination of advanced live cell imaging, cell biological, biophysical, molecular and biochemical techniques to investigate the dynamics and function of adhesion, signaling, and cytoskeletal proteins, and to analyze forces involved in cell migration. We hope that our research will not only improve our understanding of the basic cell biology of neuronal growth cones, but also assist in the development of treatments that support axonal regeneration in nervous system diseases and injuries.
Education
Postdoctoral Research in Cellular Neurobiology, Yale University, 1995-2000
Ph.D. in Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 1995
Professional Faculty Research
(Cell biology; neurobiology) neuronal growth cone motility and guidance, cell adhesion and migration, cytoskeletal dynamics, signal transduction, nervous system development, advanced light microscopy
Awards
2005 Purdue University Seed for Success Award
2003 Purdue Research Foundation International Travel Award
Other Activities
Professional Organizations:
- The American Society for Cell Biology, 1994-present
- The Society for Neuroscience, 2007-present
- The Swiss Society for Biochemistry, 1992-present
Faculty Presentations, 2007-2009:
- "Integration of sensory, signaling and motile functions in the neuronal growth cone", Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, March 19, 2009.
- "Integration of sensory, signaling and motile functions in the neuronal growth cone", Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 29, 2008.
- "Integration of sensory, signaling and motile functions in the neuronal growth cone", Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, October 22, 2008.
- "The Neuronal Growth Cone: A sophisticated signaling device". Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich Switzerland, August 4, 2008.
- "Molecular and cellular mechanisms of adhesion-mediated neuronal growth cone guidance". Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, March 7, 2008.
- "Molecular and cellular mechanisms of adhesion-mediated neuronal growth cone guidance". Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN, February 22, 2008.
- "Microtubule dynamics in neuronal growth cones during adhesion-mediated guidance". Minisymposium talk at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, Washington, DC, December 3, 2007.
- "Src and AFM imaging in live neuronal growth cones". Department of Anatomy, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI, September 13, 2007.
- "AFM and Src tyrosine kinase imaging in neuronal growth cones". Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, March 14, 2007.
Conferences, 2007-2009:
- 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, Illinois, October 17-21, 2009.
- Cold Harbor Laboratory Meeting; 6th Meeting on Axon Guidance, Synaptogenesis and Neural Plasticity, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, September 10-14, 2008.
- 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, Washington, DC, December 1-5, 2007
- 37th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, CA, November 3-7, 2007
- Cold Harbor Laboratory Meeting; Imaging Neurons and Neural Activity, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, March 22-25, 2007
Manuscript Reviewer for the following journals:
- FEBS letters
- Journal of Biological Chemistry
- Journal of Cell Biology
- Journal of Cell Science
- Journal of Neuroscience
- Journal of Neurobiology
- Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
- Molecular Biology of the Cell
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
- PNAS
- Developmental Neurobiology
- PLoS ONE
Grant Reviewer for the following NIH Study Sections
- Synapses, Cytoskeleton and Trafficking Study Section (SYN), National Institutes of Health, Washington, DC, June 15-16, 2005
- Neuronal Differentiation, Plasticity and Regeneration (NDPR), National Institutes of Health, Washington, DC, June 22-23, 2005.
- Neuronal Differentiation, Plasticity and Regeneration (NDPR), National Institutes of Health, Washington, DC, June 8-9, 2009.