Martin Singleton : Macromolecular Structure and Function

Goals

Our lab is interested in understanding how chromosomes, once replicated, are separated into daughter cells during cell division. It is essential the this process works accurately over many generations, otherwise cells may gain or loose chromosomes, an event that can have severe consequences for the cell, and in turn lead to the onset or progression of diseases such as cancer. We primarily study these processes by determining the three-dimensional structure of proteins that bind chromosomes using techniques such as X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy. By designing experiments based on the resulting structures, we can gain insights into the way in which the proteins operate in the cell.