Grant: Project Grant

The cells of the brain, or neurons, have a distinct, tree-like shape. This distinct shape is determined by an underlying cellular skeleton, or cytoskeleton, just as the shape of a vertebrate is determined by its bones. This grant studies the "bones" of the cytoskeleton, structures known as microtubules---how they are formed and how their formation breaks down in disease. More specifically, we know that neurons can make different types of microtubules---ones designed for the "branches" of their tree and others designed for the trunk. How do neurons create these different kinds of microtubules? We will answer this question using advanced microscopes that can observe the different microtubule types at very high resolution and by learning how to rebuild the different microtubule types from scratch.