Contact
- mhsong@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2103
- Dow 502
Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
- PhD, University of California at Berkeley, 2000
Research Description
Centrosomes are the primary microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs) in animal cells, which play an instrumental role in cell polarity, intracellular transport, cell motility, and bipolar spindle assembly. While not absolutely required for mitosis, centrosomes normally play a key role in establishing bipolar spindles. Thus precise regulation of centrosome assembly is crucial for the correct segregation of chromosomes as cells divide. Genomic instability, a feature of many cancers, is often associated with aberrant centrosomes. Recent studies demonstrated that extra centrosomes alone suffice to promote genomic instability via erroneous attachment of chromosome to microtubules, which is mediated by multipolar intermediates. Thus, understanding the molecular and genetic mechanisms of centrosome assembly should aid our knowledge of human diseases in which this process goes awry. Despite dramatic recent progress, we are still far from a full comprehension of centrosome biogenesis and its link to the cell cycle. The goal of my research is to contribute to this effort, applying a combination of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, proteomics and quantitative imaging to the study of centrosome biology in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans model.
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
- Caenorhabditis elegans
- Cell Cycle Regulation
- Centrosome Biogenesis
- RNA Interference
- High-resolution Live Imaging
- Confocal Microscopy
- Phosphoproteomics