WHAT WE DO

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During cell division, cells must equally distribute their genetic information between the two daughter cells. Proper completion of this process, in turn, depends on significant changes in chromosome organisation, including the resolution of linkages between the two identical DNA molecules (sister chromatids) and the condensation of the long DNA fibbers. 

If the distribution of the genetic material is somehow impaired, cells may obtain an abnormal number of chromosomes or even break and lose significant parts of the genome. These abnormalities are usually associated with many health conditions, such as cancer development, genetic disorders and infertility. Our lab investigates the assembly of mitotic chromosomes and how their morphology influences the fidelity of cell division. 

We are focused on addressing the following questions:

• How are mitotic chromosomes assembled? 
• How do chromosomes switch off transcription during mitosis?
• How do the properties of stem cells alter mitotic chromosome architecture?
• How do failures in mitotic chromosome assembly impact mitotic fidelity, organism development, and human health? 

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IN THE NEWS

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recent and current
COLLABORATORS

• Béla Novák, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK
• Bill Sullivan, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California
• Ivo Telley, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência
• Diogo Castro, I3S, Porto, Portugal
• Rui Martinho, Universidade do Algarve
• Lars Jansen, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK 

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