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Faculty Profile Last Modified Time: 02:05:00 PM Fri, 23 Feb 2024   Contact Information William Brownell Associated Profiles  Jake and Nina Kamin Chair of Otorhinolaryngology and Communicative Sciences and Professor, Otorhinolaryngology, Baylor College of Medicine     brownell@bcm.edu     (713) 798-8540    Web Link    Membrane Potentials, Cell Membrane, Cochlea, Hair Cells, Outer Auditory, Hearing, Cochlear Amplifier, Temporal Processing    Associated Profiles Research and Expertise Affiliations Appointments  Research and Expertise Research Interests   The remarkable sensitivity of mammalian hearing results from the ability of inner ear sensory receptor cells (called outer hair cells) to generate mechanical force in response to small electric fields. These forces can follow electrical signals up to 100 kHz and cause cell length changes that are easily seen when the cell is isolated from the cochlea. The mechanism responsible for this electromotility is a membrance based motor that resides in the cell's lateral wall. The lateral wall is a composite structure with nanoscale dimensions. Three layers are found within 100 nm of the cell's surface: the plasma membrane, a highly organized cortical lattice made up of cytoskeletal proteins, a novel subcellular organelle called the subsurface cisterna. This trilaminate organization is unique to the outer hair cell as is electromotility. We have developed techniques to selectively label and functionally dissect the layers. The nature of lipid-protein interactions in the two membranous layers is of particular interest. The contribution of each layer to the cell's electrical and mechanical anatomy is measured and computational models developed. Outer hair cells are investigated in vitro and subjected to a variety of mechanical, electrical, and chemical stimuli. Video-enhanced, confocal-laser-scanning, and atomic-force microscopy and optical tweezers are used to measure lateral diffusion in membranes, cell movements ionic currents, and membrane electromechanics. Intracellular microelectrodes, patch clamp techniques, suction electrodes, and voltage- and ligand- sensitive dyes are used to investigate the electroanatomy of cells including the ion channels found in the cell's different membrane domains. Analytic and numerical models are used to analyze mophometric data, extract elastic moduli of the different cell structures, and clarify ionic and molecular pathways within the cell.  Publications/Creative Works Click here to search for this faculty member's publications on PubMed.  Affiliations  Research Consortia GCC for Theoretical Neuroscience Gulf Coast Cluster for NeuroEngineering  Training Grants NeuroEngineering IGERT  Research Consortia Gulf Coast Consortium for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience  Appointments Title Department / School Institution Professor Otorhinolaryngology Baylor College of Medicine

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