Jeroen Eyckmans

Characterization of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) on the Single-cell and Tissue Level

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONI
n this project, the student will study hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) at the single cell and tissue level using induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs). At the single-cell level, the student will work on a project comparing the force distribution in HCM mutated cells to wild type cells when patterned in different aspect ratios and sizes. The student will stem cell culture, cardiomyocyte differentiation, learn cell patterning skills and about how fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) works. At the tissue level, the student will learn to fabricate cardiac millitissues using iPSC-CMs and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The main project for the summer will be to characterize and compare the composition and structure of these tissues, including that of the cells and extracellular matrix. This project will allow the student to learn a variety of skills, including micro-fabrication, immunohistochemistry, image analysis, and PCR.

LABORATORY MENTOR
Jourdan Ewoldt

RESEARCH GOALS
This project has two goals:
• Characterizing force distribution in HCM mutated cells compared to isogenic control cells
• Characterizing the cell and tissue structure of engineered cardiac microtissues made with HCM mutated cells and isogenic control cells.

LEARNING GOALS
The student will learn how to:
• Expand and differentiate human IPSCs into cardiomyocytes
• Pattern cardiomyocyte on 2D substrates
• Assemble cardiac microtissues and characterize the tissue structure using immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy and image analysis.

TIMELINE
June 4 – August 10

Learn more about Jeroen Eyckmans on his faculty page.