We are a young, passionate group of interdisciplinary researchers combining expertise in molecular engineering, synthetic biology, chemical biology, and biophysics to better diagnose and treat disease.
 

Our lab seeks to probe, perturb, and re-program biological barriers across length scales. Metazoans - which include humans - have evolved to assemble exquisite semi-permeable membrane structures that regulate the flux of select material in and between cells and tissues. The complex, multi-component topologies and mesh-like architectures of biological barriers are rich sources of biological information and often deteriorate in pathological conditions.  With molecular tools in hand, we study epithelial cells and tissue, extracellular matrix, and cell membrane interfaces to gain a quantitative and mechanistic understanding of these barriers. Leveraging our fundamental insights, researchers in the lab build smarter molecules, materials, and cells for improving drug bioavailability in the gut and brain, detecting and repairing cancerous tissue, and for regenerative medicine applications.

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**Postdoctoral openings. We are recruiting postdoctoral fellows! Motivated researchers interested in cutting-edge cell biology, biophysics, and/or chemical biology are encouraged to contact Prof. Belardi. Our lab fosters an inclusive and stimulating environment to help researchers from diverse backgrounds thrive and gain independence. See project areas below. If interested, please email Prof. Belardi with a CV, a cover letter detailing research directions in our lab you'd like to pursue (see below and Publications), and a research summary.**