Investigating the Cell Division Machinery

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SUMMARY Cell division is a complex and specifically orchestrated set of events that culminates in the equal segregation of sister chromatids into two cells. It relies on a multitude of protein complexes, protein- protein interactions, and regulatory mechanisms driven by the activities of posttranslational modification enzymes. The Torres lab uses multidisciplinary approaches to investigate the enzymes and regulatory mechanisms that are necessary to carry out human cell division with high fidelity, which are often dysregulated in diseases like cancer. This dynamic research environment provides students a unique opportunity to obtain broad foundational training in modern cell and molecular biology. This administrative supplement will allow one talented undergraduate student to immerse in a comprehensive research and career training experience for ten weeks during the summer of 2023. The Torres lab will provide a dynamic, inclusive, collaborative, and supportive environment, where the student will acquire technical, operational, and professional skills that will prepare them for a biomedical career. The student will carry out research on a novel set of related proteins that localize to microtubule-based structures and that are important for their function, including mitotic spindle assembly, which lies within the scope of the original MIRA project. The student will gain rigorous experimental design skills; statistical and quantitative skills for data analysis; analytical and critical thinking skills; oral and written communication skills; and an understanding of how to conduct safe and ethical research studies. The student’s research experience will be coupled with exposure to broad areas of cell and molecular biology related to the cell cycle and cytoskeleton and the development of professional skills. This will include student attendance and research presentations at Torres lab meetings, the UCLA cytoskeleton supergroup meetings, the UCLA undergraduate research symposium, and molecular biology institute research seminars. Additionally, the student will receive one-on-one mentoring and hands on training from the PI and a staff research associate on a regular basis. Together, this comprehensive student-centered mentoring, research training, and career development plan will enable the student to successfully prepare for a biomedical career.