Project properties
Title Self organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton
Group Plant Cell Biology, Laboratory of
Project type thesis
Credits 12 or more
Supervisor(s) Juliane Teapal, Olja Zaitsave, Aniek Jongerius
Examiner(s) Prof.dr. Marcel Janson
Contact info marcel.janson@wur.nl
Begin date 2012/01/01
End date 2016/01/01
Description Cells need to organize their inside and shape their outside. You will investigate microtubules that allow cells to do just that. Microtubules are long filaments which are interconnected into complex networks by molecular motors and bundling proteins. We want to learn how cells regulate motor and bundling forces to make networks both strong and dynamic. How do the properties of small molecules affect network architecture at a much larger length scale? In the lab we study cells at work using advanced light microscopy but also try to mimic the self-organization of microtubule networks from scratch using purified components. By making directed mutations in protein function, the relation between molecular properties and network geometry can be investigated. Quantitative models are developed to obtain a mechanistic understanding of cellular functioning. Recommended course: Cell Biology and Advanced Imaging Technologies (PCB 30306).
Used skills microscopy, recombinant protein expression and purification, cell culture, PCR and DNA cloning
Requirements n.a.