Nurse lab Cell Cycle Laboratory

Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Our laboratory works to understand how cells grow and divide.

The cell cycle is a complex process involving cell growth, DNA synthesis and mitosis that leads to the division of a single cell into two daughters, a process that is fundamental to all living organisms. 

Using fission yeast, a single-celled eukaryote, our lab investigates the regulatory networks that control the orderly progression of events through the cell cycle that ultimately lead to a timely mitosis and division. Cell cycle transitions are coordinated with cell growth and we are working to uncover the mechanisms by which cells monitor their own size and control progression through the cell cycle. 

We expect our studies in fission yeast will lead to an improved understanding of human cellular controls. This is important as uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation can lead to diseases such as cancer.