معرفی
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.
