Nat Clarke
Assistant Professor,
Biology College of Arts and Science
natclarke@miami.edu
The Clarke Lab studies the molecular evolution of cell adhesion, a fundamental property of animal cells that enables multicellularity, tissue integrity, and coordinated development. Our work focuses on characterizing adhesion proteins in diverse marine invertebrates such as cnidarians and sponges — lineages that represent early branches of the animal tree. Many of the adhesion proteins we study have direct links to human health, including roles in cancer metastasis, wound healing, and tissue regeneration. We use comparative genomics, structural biology, and cell biology to investigate the diversity and function of adhesion proteins across animal evolution. In parallel, we develop genetic and biochemical tools for studying protein function in emerging marine model organisms, enabling mechanistic studies in animals with unique regenerative and developmental capacities that could lead to novel therapeutic strategies. By studying a broad range of organisms, we aim to uncover principles of cell adhesion and tissue biology that are shared across animals — including humans. These insights can inform biomedical strategies for controlling tissue growth, modulating immune interactions, enhancing regeneration and wound healing, and engineering synthetic tissues. Our long-term goal is to bridge evolutionary biology with human health by identifying fundamental mechanisms that shape the structure and resilience of animal tissues.
Keywords: cell adhesion, tissue biology, regeneration, development, wound healing
