Feng-Song Wang, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences

Introduction

Professor Wang studies how directed growth cone movement, mainly an actin-based cell motility, guides the pathfinding of a growing neurite during the formation of nervous system.

Research Overview

Professor Wang’s research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of cell motility. Many proteins have been identified and suggested to function in the motile cellular processes. To dissect the in vivo function of a protein, we are using a unique technique, chromophore-assisted laser inactivation (CALI).

CALI inactivates a protein of interest at specific times and locations in the embryo or cell to ascribe functional roles to that protein. We are taking a biochemical approach in combination with CALI technique to investigate the growth cone motility using chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in culture.

We also have been working on direct observation of the effects of protein inactivation using green fluorescence proteins (GFPs) as indicators with live-cell imaging. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused with a protein of interest is used to visualize, track and quantify proteins in dynamic cellular processes with high spatial and temporal resolution.

We combine these two techniques – GFPs as indicators for live-cell imaging and CALI for inactivation – to directly monitor and observe the effects of protein inactivation at the molecular level.

Select Publications

Lenz D, Bee T, Leavesley S, Wang F.-S., Robinson JP. Issues in slide based cytometry. Segmentation algorithms. In: Robinson JP, ed. Purdue Purdue Cytometry Vol.9/Image and Microscopy Vol. 4, 2006. ISBN: 1-890473-09-x., 2006. http://www.cyto.purdue.edu/flowcyt/cdseries.htm

Wang, F.-S. Chromophore-Assisted Laser Inactivation (CALI). Robinson JP, ed. Purdue Cytometry Vol.9/Image and Microscopy Vol. 4, 2006. ISBN: 1-890473-09-x., 2006. http://www.cyto.purdue.edu/flowcyt/cdseries.htm

Wang, F.-S., Liu CW, Diefenbach TJ, and D. G. Jay. Modeling the role of myosin 1c in neuronal growth cone turning. Biophys J. 85:3319-28, (2003). http://www.biophysj.org/cgi/content/full/85/5/3319

Takei, K., T. A. Chan, F.-S. Wang, H. Deng, U. Rutishauser and D. G. Jay. The neural cell adhesion molecules L1 and NCAM-180 act in different steps of neurite outgrowth. J Neurosci. 19: 9469-79, (1999). http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/full/19/21/9469

Wang, F.-S., J. S. Wolenski, R. E. Cheney, M. S. Mooseker and D. G. Jay. Function of Myosin V in Filopodial Extension of Neuronal Growth Cones. Science 273:660-663, (1996). http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/273/5275/660

Teaching Focus

My teaching focus is: a) to encourage students to apply logical thinking and biological principles as tools for exploring, guiding and satisfying our curiosity about the world around us; b.) to facilitate students’ learning of factual information and key principles and to make connections between the information on textbook with experiments and researches performed to obtain and confirm the factual information; and c.) to encourage students become life learners.