Our Research

       We study how the cell cycle evolved to function in multinucleated cells.  Single cells with many nuclei are found in bones and muscles, in fungal pathogens and in many cancers.  We use two evolutionarily related fungi, the uninucleated budding yeast (S. cerevisae) and a filamentous, multinucleated fungus (A. gossypii) to identify how the cell cycle machinery may have diverged to support accurate division within the spatial requirements of a multinucleated cell.   These two related organisms are an excellent pair for such studies because while the genomes share about 95% of the same genes, approximately 100 million years have passed since their common ancestor allowing for significant divergence between homologues.  We employ a broad range of experimental approaches including in vivo timelapse microscopy, cell biology, mathematical modeling, biochemistry and genetics to explore how cell cycle networks direct nuclear division within the unique geometry found in cells where many nuclei share one cytoplasm.

Dartmouth College
Department of Biological Sciences
Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program
Cancer Mechanisms Program, NCCC

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