How kinesins generate directional force and movement

Kinesin molecular motors are walking machines that transport cargo along microtubules in cells. Kinesin-driven transport is a core organising principle of eukaryotic life, driving a variety of self-organisation processes, for example mitosis, meiosis and axonal transport. Professor Cross's research asks how kinesin motors work at the molecular level. To answer this fundamental question, he will use a variety of protein engineering, microscopic and computational approaches, including single-molecule optical trapping microscopy.