Jared E. Toettcher

Jared E. Toettcher is the Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Deputy Director of the Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute at Princeton University. He holds additional faculty affiliations with the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.

Education:

• B.S. in Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley (2004)
• Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2009)

Research Focus:

The Toettcher Lab investigates how cells decode spatial and temporal signaling information to make critical decisions about growth, differentiation, and migration. Their work combines optogenetic tools (Phytochrome B/PIF6 system), high-resolution microscopy, and systems biology to study:

• Dynamic signal encoding in Ras/Erk pathways
• Spatiotemporal control of developmental processes
• Phase separation as a mechanism for cellular memory
• Cancer-related signaling pathway disruptions
• Synthetic control of metabolic and developmental systems

Key Publication Trends: Recent work focuses on light-regulated systems for controlling signaling pathways (2023-2025), with particular emphasis on interferon receptors, embryonic symmetry breaking, and prime editing techniques. Earlier studies (2013-2018) established foundational optogenetic tools for studying Erk dynamics and metabolic flux control.

Scientific Recognition:

• NSF CAREER Award (2018-2023)
• NIH New Innovator Award (2016-2021)
• Cancer Research Institute Fellow (2010-2013)
• MIT Presidential Fellow (2004)
• UC Berkeley Regents' Scholar (2000)

Laboratory and Collaborations: The Toettcher Lab at Princeton University operates at the intersection of quantitative cell biology and engineering, with active collaborations across bioengineering, genomics, and developmental biology disciplines.