Laufer Center Seminar - Alex Mogilner

Alex Mogilner

Professor of Mathematics & Biology

Courant Instiute and Department of Biology

New York University

Date: Friday, October 16th

Time: 12:30pm

Location: Laufer Center Lecture Hall 101

Title: “Prometaphase: Movements that Matter. Connections that Last”

Mitotic spindle is a remarkable molecular machine segregating chromosomes prior to cell division. The Spindle’s self-assembly in prometaphase is characterized by astonishing speed and dramatic movements. I will show how analysis of microscopy data coupled with computational modeling helps to answer two questions: How could multiple crowded chromosomes g et connected to the spindle in mere minutes? What do measured movements of chromosomes and chromosomes tell us about the mechanical interactions in the prometaphase? 

Specifically, 1) modeling of 3D geometry data will illustrate how a micro-tubule network could rapidly connect chromosomes to spindle poles despite randomness and crowding. 2) Dramatic movements in prometaphase will allow to reconstruct forces in prometaphase spindle, which display a mechanical hierarchy making the spindle assembly robust.

Host: Lina Carlini

Join us for light refreshments and a chance to meet with our speaker in the hub afterwards!