Membrane remodelling during mitotic exit

Cell division is the process by which a single cell divides into two daughter cells. It is essential for life, being necessary for the growth, development and repair of all tissues in the body. Errors in cell division can lead to diseases such as cancer, however, despite being so important, there are still many things about this process that we don’t understand. As well as containing DNA, cells also contain a number of internal compartments called organelles that help them live. Some of these organelles fragment when cell division begins and this allows DNA separation to occur. As cells finish dividing, organelles must be divided equally into daughter cells, and organelles that were fragmented must be reassembled.

I want to discover how an organelle that encloses the nucleus (and fragments when cells begin division) is reformed when division ends. I also want to find out how a large organelle called the endoplasmic reticulum – which  fills most of the cell’s interior – is separated during division and how a group of membrane-binding proteins called endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRTs) assemble into a machinery that shapes, separates and reforms organelles during cell division.

Our findings will help us discover more about how cells work and reveal more about the cellular processes that guard against the development of cancer.