Our group is doing research at the interface between single-molecule enzymology and cell biology.
Cells are extremely dynamic entities when viewed under the microscope.
Movements, such as the separation of chromosomes in mitosis, the transport of neurotransmitter-containing vesicles down the axon of a nerve cell, or the crawling of a immune cell through a capillary wall at a site of infection are inseparable from cell function. The filaments of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons are the tracks along which motor proteins move. Our research involves the fundamental biophysical question of how mechanoenzymes work. By fluorescently labelling the kinesin and imaging kinesin and microtubules in an appropriate microscope, single kinesin molecules can be observed and movement parameters such as velocity and distance travelled can be easily quantitated. This experimental system will allow the mechanism of long-distance movement to be conveniently dissected using mutagenesis approaches.