Exploring the final events in eukaryotic cell division

Professor Martin-Serrano's research is focused on understanding how the last events in eukaryotic cell division are coordinated so as to prevent damage to any lagging chromosomes. The physical separation of daughter cells, termed abscission, is a fundamental process in biology that occurs as the final cytokinetic event, as it results in the physical cleavage of the midbody that forms between daughter cells. Professor Martin-Serrano is studying the mechanism that promotes midbody abscission, and how this process is regulated by a checkpoint process called NoCut, which can delay abscission where necessary to prevent genetic damage. His overall aim is to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying this process.