Prof. Dr. Andrea Musacchio

Mechanistic Cell Biology

Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund

Phone: +49 231 133 2101
Email

Mitosis is the process of somatic cell division. It allows humans to develop from a single cell to the ~15 trillion cells of an adult individual. In most cases, dividing cells complete this process without errors, allowing the two daughters of a mother cell to remain genetically identical. Errors in this process, however rare, derange cell physiology and promote the transformation of healthy cells into malignant counterparts. From a molecular perspective, transmission of the genetic material is no easy task, but specialized machinery evolved to execute this fundamental chore seamlessly and accurately. We aim to dissect the molecular basis of mitosis. Because mitosis is rapid, typically requiring less than 1 hour, we study this process with perturbations that trigger immediately observable effects. Working at the interface between biochemistry in reconstituted systems and classical cell biology, we will shed light on fundamental aspects of the chromosome transmission process.