Kulkarni, Saurabh
Primary Appointment
Cell Biology
Education
- PhD, Biology, University of Cincinnati
- Postdoc, Cell and Developmental Biology, Yale School of Medicine
Contact Information
Email: sk4xq@virginia.edu
Website: http://www.kulkarni-lab.com
Research Disciplines
Biology, Cardiovascular Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Development, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Stem Cells & Regeneration, Translational Science
Research Interests
Precision medicine, translational science, regeneration, organoids, high resolution imaging, computational modeling
Research Description
WE USE FROGS TO STUDY DEVELOPMENT, DISEASE, AND REGENERATION
PRECISION MEDICINE OF BIRTH DEFECTS
Every parent that loses their baby to a birth defect wants to know why and if it will happen again. My lab works at the interface of clinical and basic science to answer those questions. We recruit patients with birth defects to discover novel genes and variants using whole exome and genome sequencing. We use CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce patient mutation in the frog genome to characterize the disease phenotype and identify underlying cell biological function using advanced microscopy and biochemistry techniques.
HOW TO BUILD AN AIRWAY
Multiciliated cells (MCCs) line the airway epithelium and play a central role in removing pathogens to prevent chronic respiratory diseases. Therefore, much attention is now given to understanding how the mucociliary (mucus+cilia) epithelium is formed to bioengineer motile cilia and the airway epithelium. We use frog embryonic skin to address this question. We integrate multiple approaches, from machine learning and high-resolution live imaging to skin organoids and mechanobiology.
REGENERATION
Multiciliated cells (MCCs) of the airway are constantly injured from smoke, pollution, and acid reflux. These injuries can impair mucus clearance and can cause and exacerbate chronic respiratory diseases (CRD). Interestingly, MCCs and cilia can regenerate, re-establish airway clearance, and improve the symptoms of CRD. My lab uses fluorescence and cryo-electron microscopy combined with proteomics and transcriptomics to uncover the mechanisms of cilia regeneration.