Perturbing cell division to examine mechanisms
For a dynamic process like cell division, the use cell permeable small molecules to inhibit a protein’s function has advantages over other methods, as these chemical perturbations can act on a very fast timescale (often seconds to minutes). If the inhibition by a small molecules is reversible, the target protein’s function can also be turned on in living cells with precise temporal control. A major focus of our research is to use small molecules to inhibit or activate key cell division proteins and use state-of-the-art microscopy to track consequences of these perturbations at high resolution (spatial and temporal). This chemical biology approach involves:
1) Discovery and synthesis of chemical inhibitors of proteins required for cell division.
2) Use chemical inhibitors in assays examining cell division mechanisms.
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