Two-ness and Time in the Cell

Professor Arshed Desai
Cell & Developmental Biology, UC San Diego


ABSTRACT


The defining feature of biological systems is their ability to replicate, which has at its foundation the process of cell division. We are focused on understanding the inherent "two-ness" of cells and how accuracy and optimality are ensured during the trilliions of cell divisions that are needed to build and maintain multicellular organisms. Our recent work highlights temporal optimization during cell division that is frequently disrupted in human cancers, highlighting a new type of tumor suppressor mechanism.