Welcome to the Cell Biology, Physiology, and Metabolism program!
Modern cell biology is a dynamic discipline that integrates multiple fields, including molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, metabolism, microbiology, physiology, developmental biology, cytology and genetics. Cell biologists investigate the basic structural and functional units of life: cells that compose all living organisms, and how they integrate into functioning organisms. Once reliant primarily on microscopic methods, cell biologists now take advantage of cutting edge methods in ultrastructure, metabolism, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology, and utilize a diverse range of model organisms. Program faculty conduct research in cellular and organismal metabolism; cell motility, the cytoskeleton, and muscle physiology; intracellular trafficking and organelle function; membrane transport; and signal transduction and cell cycle regulation. The program is focused on quantitative fundamental biology, with a simultaneous constant eye on potential clinical relevance, leveraging the strength of being integrated in a large and active health system. CPM research at Penn has contributed to numerous medical advances in recent years, including those related to diabetes, blindness, muscular dystrophy, heart failure, and cancer.