Amy Rowat, UCLA’s Marcie H. Rothman Professor of Food Studies, has been named an Allen Distinguished Investigator by the Allen Institute, a nonprofit bioscience research hub. The honor comes with a $1.5 million grant to develop a novel technology capable of searching through the genome to discover molecules that regulate cell membrane shape stability and mechanical resilience.
Rowat’s team hopes to decipher how these newly discovered proteins help to endow cellular membranes with structure and the ability to adapt to physical stresses. They also hope to learn how these proteins impact the formation, shape stability and function of engineered tissues.
Rowat is a biophysicist who studies the physical properties of cells critical for many physiological functions, such as deforming to circulate through the body and resisting stresses like stretching or squeezing. Her lab investigates how cells maintain their physical properties and regulate them in response to external cues. Another line of her research involves finding ways to make cultured meat with textures that more closely resemble meat from a butcher shop as a sustainable protein alternative.
The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group at the Allen Institute awards distinguished investigator grants of $1 million to $1.5 million to individuals and scientific teams that are passionate thought leaders, explorers and innovators who seek world-changing breakthroughs.
