M.S. Physics, Ravi Shankar University, India, 1998
B.S. Physics and Education, Regional Institute of Education, India, 1996
Email: snayak AT ucsd.edu Phone: 858.822.3859
Biography/Research Profile:
My work focuses on making micro fluidic devices for studying single cell dynamics under fluorescence microscopy. I am currently working in collaboration with Dr. Tim Elston (UNC). We are trying to study the kinetics of translocation of key signaling molecules to the shmoo in a pheromone gradient in the haploid yeast cells.
Haploid yeast of opposite mating types secretes pheromone. Yeast use the pheromone concentration to sense the direction and proximity of a possible mating partner and orient their shmoo in the direction of the closest mating partner. In dividing haploid cells, each new bud forms next to previous bud site.
On pheromone stimulation, division stops, but the cell continues to grow towards the source of pheromone (external signal overrides the internal cues).
In a uniform pheromone concentration, Yeast form shmoos in the direction of the most recent bud scar (cell uses internal cues).
The molecules involved and the precise order of events that take place in the presence of pheromone gradient is not fully understood
We have built a micro fluidic device which we will utilize to solve some of the unanswered questions.
