Congratulations to BME student, Srujana Neelam, who is the first author on a recent publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). In addition to Srujana, BME Affiliate Faculty Drs. Richard Dickinson and Tanmay Lele, are also authors on this article.

PNAS is one of the world’s most-cited and comprehensive multidisciplinary scientific journals, publishing more than 3,800 research papers annually. PNAS publishes only the highest quality scientific research. Every published paper is peer reviewed and has been approved for publication by an National Academy of Sciences member.

Short Description: In a cell that is not actively moving, the shape of the nucleus and its central position are robustly maintained in a mechanical homeostasis. How nuclear shape and position are maintained despite the various types of intracellular forces that act on the nuclear surface is an open question. Dysregulated positioning and irregular nuclear shape are associated with a variety of human pathologies. In this manuscript we estimate the magnitude of the forces that are required to displace and deform the cell nucleus and identify the main molecules that resist these forces. Our results are important because they reveal how the nucleus has such a stable shape and position in the cell, despite the different forces acting on it. ​

Full article located here: http://www.pnas.org/content/112/18/5720.full.pdf.