Erik Hopkins

Biography

     I received my bachelor's degree from Kent State University in 2018 and began my PhD at UC Santa
Barbara later that year under the supervision of Max Wilson.

Research

     My projects focus on engineering systems to enable precise and dynamic control over cell inputs to
ultimately shape cell fate. Cells are products of their environments and continually interpret the
dynamic biochemical and mechanical cues around them to instruct future decisions, such as
differentiating, dividing, or dying. As interest in cellular dynamics continues to grow, so does the need
for modular approaches that trivially control pathways and processes of interest in such a fashion. I
work closely with groups in the Materials Science and Chemistry Departments to develop in vitro
applications of optogenetic proteins with the goal of establishing methods to dynamically control cells
without the need for genetic manipulation.
     Specifically, I utilize bioorthogonal handles on natural ECM (extracellular matrix) proteins, like laminin
and collagen, to create functionalized surfaces that direct cell signaling in a spatially-defined manner.
Depending on the route of functionalization, we can create surfaces with photopatterned biochemical
cues, like EGF or BMP4, to instruct processes such as migration and differentiation, or instill light-
responsive mechanics by utilizing the photo-oligomeric nature of optogenetic proteins. Additionally, I
use nanobodies and other compact protein-binding peptides to engineer synthetic ligands targeting
dimerization/oligomerization-dependent receptors on the cell surface. By utilizing highly-stable and -
specific protein binders in the design process, the synthetic ligands are highly amenable to design
changes, like valency and linker structure, that allow us tune receptor clustering and signal strength. In
addition to using these ligands to study the role receptor oligomerization plays in signal output, we find
novel uses for them in tissue-specific human stem cell differentiations.