Research Interests
• Molecular basis of biological motion
• Optical image processing
• Novel instrumentation
• Cell Biology
• Water
Contact Information
Department of Bioengineering
University of Washington
Box 355061
William H. Foege Building, Room N310B
Phone: 206-685-1880
Fax: 206-685-3300
E-mail: ghp@u.washington.edu
Research Description
We use engineering techniques to explore how cells function. Mainly, the emphasis is on muscle contraction and motility: how nature converts chemical energy into mechanical energy. We approach the transduction mechanism in a hybrid environment, applying the principles of both engineering and biology to converge on a solution. Recently, we have developed specialized nanofabricated cantilever transducers, which allow us to explore contractile dynamics on the nanometer scale. Initial results have proved extremely interesting: we find that contraction occurs in quantal steps; and, the size of the quantal step is equal to a molecular dimension along the actin filament (Yakovenko et al., 2002). A current breakthrough goes beyond, and allows us to probe the sliding of one protein filament over another - actin over myosin. The results confirm the nanoscale quantal steps (Liu and Pollack, 2004). These findings draw us close, indeed, to answering the question of the contractile mechanism.
A second and emerging research thrust is the interaction between cell's water and its meshwork of polymeric surfaces. The cell is filled with polymers: proteins, nucleic acids, etc. Polymer surfaces profoundly impact nearby water molecules, which in turn impact cell function in an important way (this is described in detail in Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life; Pollack; Ebner and Sons, 2001). We are exploring the nature of interfacial water, both in living cells and in gels. Interfacial water excludes solutes. We find that the exclusion zone for large solutes can extend over remarkably long distances from polymeric surfaces - sometimes up to hundreds of micrometers (Zheng and Pollack, 2003; Zheng et al., 2006). We are pursuing various biophysical and bioengineering approaches to learn more about the nature of this fascinating surface-water interaction, and its impact on cell function and beyond.
Honors and Awards
- 1961: Tau Beta Pi Kulka Award
- 1961: Eta Kappa Nu Kulka Award
- Polytechnic Institute Merit Key
- Engineering Honor Societies (Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi
- 1974-79: Established Investigatorship, American Heart Association
- 1977-79: Who's Who in the West; Who's Who in America; American Men and Women in Science
- 1977-79: Board of Directors, Bioengineering Society
- 1977-78: Selection Committee for Katz Award
- 1979-80: Cardiovascular-Pulmonary Study Section
- 1975-80: Editorial Board, Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology
- 1975-80: Editorial Board, American Journal of Physiology (Heart and Circulatory Physiology)
- 1982-89: Editorial Board, Circulation Research
- 1992: Honorary member, Romanian Muscle Society
- 1992: Excellence Award, Society for Technical Communication, (for book, Muscles & Molecules)
- 1993: Founding Fellow, American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering
- 1996: Consultant, Whitaker Foundation
- 1998: JSEM Scientific Paper Award
- 2001: Fellow, American Heart Association
- 2001: Inaugural Fellow, Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences, AHA
- 2002: Invited Scholar, Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques, Paris
- 2002: Distinguished Lecture Award, Biomedical Engineering Society
- 2002: International Scientist of the Year (IBC)
- 2002: Honorary Doctorate, Ural State University, Russia
- 2003: Distinguished Award, Society for Technical Communication (for Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life)
- 2003: Merit Award, International STC Competition for Cells, Gels, and the Engines of Life
- 2004: Chair (joint, founding), Gordon Research Conference on "Interfacial Water in Cell Biology"
- 2005: Honorary Professor, Russian Academy of Sciences
- Fellow, Biomedical Engineering Society, 2005
- National Science Board Task Force for Transformative Research, Advisor, 2005-2006
- Inaugural Chair, Annual Conference on the Physics, Chemistry and Biology of Water, 2006
- Annual Faculty Lecture Award, 2007 See archived video of the lecture
Professional Experience
- 1968-73: Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology & Division of Bioengineering, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
- 1973-77: Associate Professor, Anesthesiology and Bioengineering
- 1977-81: Professor, Anesthesiology and Bioengineering
- 1981-present: Professor, Bioengineering
Recent Publications
- Pollack, G.H. and Reitz, F.: Micro-and nano-scale motion in the cell. in: Int'l iMEMS Wkshp., ed. F. Tay Eng Hock, pp. 114, 2001.
- Reitz, F., Fauver, M. and Pollack, G.H.: Fluorescence anisotyropy near-field scanning optical microscopy (FANSOM): a new technique for nanoscale microviscometry. Ultramicroscopy, 90: 259-264, 2002.
- Dunaway, D., Fauver, M. and Pollack, G.H.: Direct measurement of single synthetic vertebrate thick filament elasticity using nanofabricated cantilevers. Biophys. J. 82(6)L 3128-3133, 2002.
- Yakovenko, O., Blyakhman, F. and Pollack, G.H.: Fundamental step size in single cardiac and skeletal sarcomeres. Am J. Physiol (Cell) 283(9): C735-C743, 2002.
- Pollack, G.H.: The Cell as a Biomaterial. Invited Review. J. Mat. Sci: Mat. In Medicine 13: 811-821, 2002.
- Liu, X. and Pollack, G.H.: Mechanics of F-actin Characterized using Nanofabricated Cantilevers. Biophys. J. 83: 2705-2715, 2002.
- Gao, F., Reitz, F. and Pollack, G.H.: Potentials in anionic polyelectrolyte hydrogels. J. Appl. Polymer Sci. 89(5) 1319-1321, 2003.
- Pollack, G.H.: The role of aqueous interfaces in the cell. Invited review. Adv. in Colloid and Interface Sci. 103/2: 173-196, 2003.
- Sokolov, S., Grinko, A., Tourovskaia, A., Reitz, F., Yakovenko, O., Pollack, G.H. and Blyakhman, F.: "Minimum average risk" as a new peak detection algorithm applied to myofibrillar dynamics. Comput. Meth and Prog. in Biomed. 72(1): 21-26, 2003.
- Pollack, G.H.: Sub-cellular basis of biological motion. Biological Membranes 20(1): 5-15, 2003.
- Zheng, J.M. and Pollack, G.H.: Long range forces extending from polymer surfaces. Phys Rev E.: 68: 031408, 2003.
- Liu, X. and Pollack, G.H.: Stepwise sliding of single actin and myosin filaments. Biophys. J. 86: 353-358, 2004.
- Nagornyak, E., Blyakhman, F. and Pollack, G.H.: Effect of sarcomere length on step size in relaxed psoas muscle. J. Mus. Res. Cell Motil. 25: 37-43, 2004.
- Safronov, A. P. Smirnova, Y. A., Pollack, G. H. and Blyakhman, F. A. Enthalpy of Swelling of Potassium Poly(acrylate) and Poly(methacrylate) Hydrogels.Evaluation of Excluded-Volume Interaction. Macromol. Chem Phys 205: 1431-1438, 2004
- Zubarev, A. Yu. Blyakhman, F. A., Pollack, G. H., Gusev, P. and Safronov, A. P. Self-similar wave of swelling/collapse phase transition along polyelectrolyte gel. Macromo. Theory Simul. 13: 697-701, 2004
- Nagornyak, E. M., Blyakhman F. A. and Pollack, G. H.: Step size in activated rabbit sarcomeres is independent of filament overlap. J. Mechanics in Med. And Biol 4(4) 1-14, 2004
- Pollack, G.H.: Cells and Gels: Implications for Mechanics. SPIE 5852 . Exp. Mechanics. Ed. C. Quan et al., 10-13, 2005
- Trevors, J. T. and Pollack, G. H.: The origin of life in a hydrogel environment. Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol. 89 (1) 1-8, 2005
- Pollack, G. H. Revitalizing science in a risk-averse culture: Reflections on the syndrome and prescriptions for its cure. Cellular and Mol. Biol. 51: 815-820, 2005
- Nagornyak, E. M., Blyakhman, F. A. and Pollack, G. H. Stepwise length changes in single invertebrate thick filaments. Biophys J. 89: 3269-3276, 2005
- Nagornyak, E. M, and Pollack, G. H. Connecting filament mechanics in the relaxed sarcomere. J. Mus Res Cell Motil 26: 303-306, 2005
- Zheng, J.-M. and Pollack, G. H. Solute Exclusion and potential distribution near hydrophilic surfaces. in Water and the Cell, ed. GH Pollack, IL Cameron, and DN Wheatley, Springer, 2006, pp. 165 – 174
- Zheng, J.-M., Chin, W. –C, Khijniak, E., Khijniak, E., Jr., Pollack, G. H. Surfaces and Interfacial Water: Evidence that hydrophilic surfaces have long-range impact. Adv. Colloid Interface Sci. 127: 19-27, 2006
- Hao, Y., Miller, M. S., Swank, D. M., Liu, H., Bernstein, S. I., Maughan, D. L., and Pollack, G. H. Passive stiffness in Drosophila indirect flight muscle reduced by disrupting paramyosin phosphorylation but not by embryonic myosin S2 hinge substitution. Biophys. J. 91: 4500-4506, 2006
- Pollack, G. H. Cells, Gels and Mechanics. In: Models of Cytoskeletal Mechanics, ed. M. Kaazempur-Mofrad and R. D. Kamm. Cambridge University Press, 2006, pp 129 – 151
Recent Books
- Pollack, G.H.: Muscles and Molecules: Uncovering the Principles of Biological Motion. Ebner & Sons, Seattle, 1990
- Sugi, H. and Pollack, G.H.: Mechanism of Sliding Muscle Contraction. Plenum Press, New York, 1993
- Sugi, H., and Pollack, G.H.: Mechanism of Work Production and Work Absorption in Muscle. Plenum Press, New York, 1998
- Granzier, H., and Pollack, G.H.: Elastic Filaments of the Cell. Kluwer/Plenum, 2000
- Pollack, G.H.: Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life: A New, Unifying Approach to Cell Function. Ebner & Sons, 2001
- Pollack, G.H., Cameron, I., and Wheatley, D., Water and the Cell. Springer, 2006
- Pollack, G.H. and Chin, W.-C. Phase Transitions in Cell Biology, Springer, 2007 in press
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