Rate My Professor Edward Bonder

Edward Bonder is Professor of Cell Biology and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Newark, School of Arts and Sciences-Newark. He received a B.A. in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976 and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1983. Bonder's research examines the structure, function, and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton in modulating cellular activities associated with morphogenesis, cell-cell contact formation, and organelle motility. The laboratory uses marine gametes, such as sea urchin eggs and sperm, as models to study fertilization-induced cytoskeletal rearrangements involving actin filaments and microtubules. Current investigations focus on the myosin family of motor proteins linked to lamellar activity, endocytosis, and organelle motility, including their developmental expression during early embryogenesis. Additional studies address adherens junction formation in cultured epithelial cells and the role of actin integrity in mitochondrial motility along microtubules in isolated sea urchin coelomocytes.

Bonder has made significant contributions to cell biology through extensive publications in leading journals. His highly cited works include foundational studies on actin dynamics, such as 'Actin from Thyone sperm assembles on only one end of an actin filament: a behavior regulated by profilin' (Tilney and Bonder, Journal of Cell Biology, 1983), 'Direct measurement of critical concentrations and assembly rate constants at the two ends of an actin filament' (Pollard et al., Cell, 1983), and 'Rho-dependent formation of epithelial leader cells during wound healing' (Omelchenko et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2003). Other key papers are 'Myosin-dependent contractile activity of the actin cytoskeleton modulates the spatial organization of cell-cell contacts in cultured epithelial cells' (Krendel et al., PNAS, 1999), 'Disassembly of actin filaments leads to increased rate and frequency of mitochondrial movement along microtubules' (Krendel et al., Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton, 1998), and more recent collaborations like 'Global ablation of the mouse Rab11a gene impairs early embryogenesis and matrix metalloproteinase secretion' (Yu et al., Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2014). With over 3,775 citations and an h-index of 37, his work has influenced understanding of cytoskeletal regulation in development and tissue organization. As Chair, Bonder oversees the department's undergraduate and graduate programs in Biological Sciences and serves on the Newark Faculty Council.