How a cell organizes its interior and how it divides are central questions in cell and developmental biology. Research in the Zheng lab focuses on understanding how different microtubule arrays are nucleated and are organized in response to cell cycle and developmental signals.
Microtubules are tiny filaments found in all eukaryotes.
They are essential for intracellular organization and mitosis. The major microtubule nucleation site inside an animal cell is the centrosome. One research avenue in the Zheng lab is to understand the structure and function of the centrosome using Xenopus and Drosophila as model systems. Additionally they found that g TuRC is essential for centrosomes to nucleate microtubules. The team is using a combination of molecular genetic, biochemical, and genetic approaches to understand this ring complex.