Cell division is required for the propagation of all living things. A critical phase of cell division occurs just after segregation of the duplicated genome, when the chromosomes, cytoplasm and organelles are partitioned to two daughter cells in a process termed cytokinesis. In animal cells, cytokinesis is driven by a cortical contraction that hysically pinches the cell in two, and requires coordination of the mitotic spindle, actin cytoskeleton and plasma membrane. Failures in cytokinesis can cause cell death and age-related disorders, or lead to genome amplification characteristic of many cancers. Although cytokinesis has been studied for over 125 years, little is known about the molecular factors and mechanisms involved.

My laboratory integrated multiple approaches in both mammalian tissue culture cells and C. elegans systems to identify and characterize conserved factors, taking advantage of proteomics, functional genomics, genetics, cell biology and video-microscopy techniques.

Skop Lab Website: http://skop.genetics.wisc.edu/