Grant: Operating Grant

Uncontrolled cell division is a fundamental hallmark of cancer. Chromosome assembly (termed "condensation") occurs prior to each cell division in order to compartmentalize the genome into manageable packages. Without condensation, each chromosome would be approximately 1000x longer that the cell length, making this process central to accurately segregating the genome to the daughter cells. This proposal uses high-resolution imaging and analysis techniques coupled to targeted protein depletion in the soil nematode C. elegans to uncover fundamental properties of chromosome condensation. Mechanisms discovered in this work will likely be prime targets for chemotherapeutics in the treatment of cancer.