Mallica is studying how cell shapes can be controlled using optogenetics, to engineer shape-changing tissues. During development, our tissues undergo several shape-changes which relies on individual cells responding to signalling cues that control the cytoskeleton. However, how signalling is coupled to cellular shape-changes that in turn affect tissue shapes is not well-understood. To understand this, Mallica engineered force control programmes coupled to light-sensitive proteins in epithelial cells and generated different cell lines. When exposed to blue light, cells undergo localised contractile forces. She makes sheet-like tissue monolayers that span over a gap using 3D printed devices. She then generates controlled contractions using confocal microscopy that deforms the monolayers. This allows her to study different tissue shapes that emerge, how tissues respond to deformations, force generation in cells, and the requirements for irreversible vs reversible shape changes.

Mallica began her academic journey with a BSc. Life Science and Biochemistry at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, where she first developed an interest in applied developmental biology. She pursued this further at Heidelberg University, majoring in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology during her MSc. Molecular Biosciences. Her master’s thesis at EMBL Barcelona explored anterior-posterior axis formation in self-organising fish embryonic cells. Mallica is currently a student at the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Biodesign Engineering. She previously obtained an MRes in Systems and Synthetic Biology from Imperial College London as part of the CDT. She is now doing a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology at UCL.

Reach out to her @PandaMalli on X and Bluesky!