Interactions with sub-cellular systems and actions across scales

In our research we focus on the interaction between actin and membrane during cell shape change. Recently, our investigations have taken us in unexpected directions including regulation of the actin cytoskeleton by RNA-based mechanisms and roles for actin in cellular stress response. In my presentation I will discuss these findings in the context of Drosophila cellularization and embryonic development, offering some new ways to think about the fundamentals of actin biology.