SCIENCE ADVANCES
Septins provide microenvironment sensing and cortical actomyosin partitioning in motile amoeboid T lymphocytes
How septin-associated cortical rings help T cells navigate a 3D matrix.
THE TABDANOV LAB PENN STATE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
How cells move.
Why it matters.
Exploring the physical intelligence of living cells.
From the forces within to the tissues they navigate.
A CLOSER LOOK AT LIFE IN MOTION
Illustrative artworkTHE BIG QUESTION
How does a cell
find its way?
A cell encounters tight spaces, changing surfaces, and physical obstacles. It responds by reorganizing its shape and the machinery inside it.
We bring cell biology and physics together to understand this adaptability. Our work connects cytoskeletal architecture, force generation, and nuclear mechanics to the movement of immune and cancer cells.
OUR RESEARCH
Movement, from the inside out.
Zhovmer et al., 2024 · Fig. 1A (crop)
IMMUNE CELLS & COMPLEX TISSUES
Small spaces.
Remarkable possibilities.
Immune cells squeeze through intricate tissue environments to reach their targets. We investigate how physical confinement, adhesion, and the mechanics of the nucleus shape their paths.
Can understanding how T cells move help us improve their access to solid tumors?
Explore the published work
Zhovmer et al., 2024 · Fig. 2C (crop)
DYNEIN, MICROTUBULES & ACTOMYOSIN
More than one
way to move.
Cells draw on interconnected systems to generate and transmit force. We study how microtubules and dynein motors work alongside actomyosin to support migration and contact guidance.
How does a cell redistribute force when its environment changes?
Explore the published work
Zhovmer et al., 2024 · Fig. 3A (crop)
SEPTINS & MECHANICAL ADAPTABILITY
Changing shape.
Changing strategy.
Septins help organize the cell cortex as a cell encounters its surroundings. We investigate how cytoskeletal architecture links local geometry to whole-cell mechanical behavior.
How can the organization of a few structural components expand a cell’s repertoire of movement?
Explore the published work01 / OBSERVE
Watch living cells navigate.
02 / PERTURB
Ask what makes movement possible.
03 / INTEGRATE
Connect molecules to cell behavior.
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS. MEDICAL RELEVANCE.
To change where
cells can go,
understand
what moves them.
The same physical barriers that hinder immune cells can shape how cancer cells invade.
By uncovering the principles of cell navigation, we aim to reveal opportunities to improve immune-cell access to tumors and understand metastatic migration.
The science behind the questionsSELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Ideas, put to the test.
3 selected papers
ADVANCED SCIENCE
Dynein-Powered Cell Locomotion Guides Metastasis of Breast Cancer
A complementary force-generating system for invasive cancer-cell migration.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
Engineering T cells to enhance 3D migration through structurally and mechanically complex tumor microenvironments
Connecting the mechanics of T-cell migration to the challenge of tumor access.
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Good science starts
with a good question.
And room to ask it.
We value original thinking, constructive disagreement, and the freedom to follow evidence. Our approach brings different disciplines into the same conversation, with the goal of developing confident, independent researchers.
Start a conversationLET’S CONNECT
Curious?
So are we.
Have a question, a different perspective,
or an idea to explore together?
EMAILtabdanov@psu.edu
FIND US
Penn State College of Medicine
Hershey, Pennsylvania