Professor Alex Mogilner, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and the Department of Biology, New York University, NYC

Deciphering Self-assembly of Mitotic Spindle

Mitotic spindle, a remarkable molecular machine, self-assembles to segregate chromosomes at the onset of cell division. Spindle assembles in phase, one of the earliest and least understood stages of mitosis. We used high-resolution 3D measurements of movements and deformations of chromosomes and spindle in prometaphase coupled with computational modeling to decipher force balances and speed and accuracy of integration of chromosomes into the spindle. I will describe how mathematical models are built from microscopy data and demonstrate that rapid stochastic interactions within the spindle leads to rapid, precise and robust self-assembly of the spindle.

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