Uncovering the role of ASPM in mitosis

ASPM (abnormal spindle-like, microcephaly-associated protein) is essential in determining the plane of division in mitosis. This is important in regulating neuronal development, and enabling humans to have a large brain. ASPM is also upregulated in many types of cancer, promoting cell proliferation. However, we do not clearly understand how this protein contributes to such an important role in mitosis. The goal of this project is to use super-resolution microscopy, combined with complementary in vitro assays including electron microscopy, to find out how this protein is organized in the spindle, how it interacts with its binding partners, and how this enables ASPM to determine the plane of cell division. You will be trained in protein expression and purification, binding assays, electron microscopy (with the chance to learn high resolution cryo-EM), tissue culture and cell biological approaches, including imaging of live and fixed cells, ‘super-resolution’ microscopy (STED, and PALM/STORM). This research is likely to have a large impact on our understanding of mitosis, and the role of ASPM in this fundamental process.