The cytoskeleton is a fundamental component of all eukaryotic cells. From cell division to membrane trafficking to cell polarity, the cytoskeleton provides the structural framework and force upon which these critical cellular events rely.
Yale Cell Biology is actively engaged in research that expands our understanding of how the cytoskeleton works at a molecular level and how the cytoskeleton supports the many cellular processes that are crucial for cell survival and function. In particular, we are interested in how the cytoskeleton mediates movement of organelles, transport vesicles, proteins and mRNAs within cells to generate cell polarity and how the cytoskeleton facilitates endocytosis and the fusion and recycling of synaptic vesicles. We are also examining the behavior of the components that compose the cytoskeleton, such as the dynamics of individual actin and microtubule filaments and the biochemical and mechanical properties of the motor proteins that move along those filaments. These complimentary and synergistic approaches to studying the cytoskeleton foster interactions within the Cell Biology community at Yale and accelerate the rate at which we understand how the cytoskeleton mediates cell function.
