Chromosome Segregation

Lab Mission: Our goal is to understand how chromosomes are segregated during mitosis. We are focused on understanding the kinetochore, a protein-DNA machine that attaches chromosomes to the mitotic spindle, moves chromosomes during anaphase and coordinates the segregation of chromosomes with the advance of the cell cycle. We are using the simple eucaryote S. cerevisiae to address how kinetochores are assembled and we are studying colorectal tumor cells to understand how this normally accurate process fails, potentially contributing to the progression of cancer.