How does membrane biophysics direct cell migration?

Changing lipid metabolism has the potential to modulate the biophysical properties of the plasma membrane. We are interested in studying how temporally-controlled lipid metabolism alters membrane properties such as fluidity/rigidity, as well as lateral organization of proteins and lipids. Accordingly, we have found that ceramide production by nSMase2 increases plasma membrane fluidity to influence directional neural crest migration (manuscript in preparation).