Chromosome Segregation

How do cells correctly inherit their chromosomes?      

Understanding how cells inherit a correct number of chromosomes during cell division is a fundamental goal in biology. Errors in chromosome segregation result in aneuploidy, a condition in which cells have too few or too many chromosomes and which is associated with birth defects, infertility and cancer. To better understand how errors made during this process contribute to the transformation of a healthy cell into a cancerous one we investigate several aspects of cell division using yeast as a model for human cells. We take an interdisciplinary approach that combines genetic, biochemical and cell biological approaches to investigate how cells separate and segregate their chromosomes during mitosis. In particular we focus on the largely conserved cellular signals that coordinates cell cycle events in space and time to guarantee successful partitioning of the genetic material. Besides contributing to elucidate fundamental aspects of this essential biological process, our work may also contribute to the design of better strategies for preventing and treating human diseases in the long term.