Contact Information
University of Illinois
600 S Mathews Ave
208 RAL, MC-712
Urbana, IL 61801
Research Interests
Development of chemical imaging techniques to visualize the distribution of different components in cell membranes, and to understand how cell membrane structure and composition relates to disease progression
Research Description
The Kraft group combines engineering principles and cutting-edge imaging technologies to overcome barriers to progress in biomedical research. We focus on identifying, and exploiting the relationship between cell composition and biological function. Our ability to engineer tissues and biomimetic devices hinges upon an understanding of the structure-function relationship in healthy and diseased cells. A key aspect of our research is the combination of computational statistics with chemical imaging techniques for quantitative single cell analysis with location specificity. Our laboratory utilizes materials characterization, quantitative engineering principles, cell biology and chemistry to elucidate the influence of molecular organization on cellular function. We are using our new tools to solve problems in a broad range of biomedical research areas. This includes applied research in directing stem cell differentiation for tissue engineering and the design of efficient drug delivery vehicles. We also perform basic research on influenza virus replication.
Education
B.S., 1998, University of Illinois at Chicago (Biochemistry)
Ph.D., 2003, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Chemistry)
Postdoc., 2003-2007, Stanford University
Awards and Honors
Excellence in Advising Award, College of Engineering, University of Illinois, UC, 2008
Career Award at the Scientific Interface, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, 2007-2011
Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institutes of Health, 2003-2007
Additional Campus Affiliations
Chien Family Professorial Scholar, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Affiliate, Chemistry
Professor, Micro and Nanotechnology Lab
Co-Chair, Institutional Biosafety Committee, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation
Recent Publications
Brunet, M. A., Gorman, B. L., & Kraft, M. L. (2025). Depth Correction of TOF-SIMS Depth Profiling Images Using the Total Ion Count Images. Biomolecules, 15(9), Article 1237. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15091237
Pastrana-Otero, I., Godbole, A. R., & Kraft, M. L. (2025). Noninvasive and in situ identification of the phenotypes and differentiation stages of individual living cells entrapped within hydrogels. Analyst, 150(10), 2047-2057. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4an00800f
Brunet, M. A., & Kraft, M. L. (2023). Toward Understanding the Subcellular Distributions of Cholesterol and Sphingolipids Using High-Resolution NanoSIMS Imaging. Accounts of chemical research, 56(7), 752-762. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.2c00760
Brunet, M. A., Gorman, B. L., & Kraft, M. L. (2022). Depth Correction of 3D NanoSIMS Images Shows Intracellular Lipid and Cholesterol Distributions while Capturing the Effects of Differential Sputter Rate. ACS Nano, 16(10), 16221-16233. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c05148
Pastrana-Otero, I., Majumdar, S., Gilchrist, A. E., Harley, B. A. C., & Kraft, M. L. (2022). Identification of the Differentiation Stages of Living Cells from the Six Most Immature Murine Hematopoietic Cell Populations by Multivariate Analysis of Single-Cell Raman Spectra. Analytical Chemistry, 94(35), 11999-12007. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00714