Novel mammalian midbody proteins by MALDI-MS

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The goal of this project is to identify and characterize proteins that comprise the mammalian midbody by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI-MS) to identify novel players during mitotic spindle assembly and cytokinesis. I plan to screen Xenopus spindle extracts for proteins that may affect spindle assembly. I will utilize the C. elegans system to look for proteins that affect cytokinesis utilizing live imaging and RNA interference techniques. In addition, C. elegans and human cell lines will provide excellent systems to study the localization of these proteins during mitosis. Ultimately, I hope to address questions of cellular organization and cytokinesis as an independent investigator at an academic or research institute. Since many cell division processes are perturbed in cancerous cells and birth defects, the understanding of the mechanisms that underlie cell division processes ought to lead to an understanding of the basis for cancer pathology. In the post-genomic era, the discovery of proteins that comprise cellular structures, proteomics, will aid in drug development since all drugs are directed against proteins.