Biomolecular Complexes
Proteins and their interaction networks are at the heart of life. Understanding how diverse proteins come together spatially and temporally and how their specific complexes translate into cellular functions is important to understand health and disease but represents a major challenge. Microtubules are filamentous structures fundamentally involved in diverse cellular processes ranging from cell division, motility and polarity to signaling and intracellular transport. They are also key to form centrioles of centrosomes and axonemes of cilia and flagella. Because of their important role for cell survival, the malfunctioning of the microtubule cytoskeleton is associated with several severe human pathologies including cancer and various forms of ciliopathies as well as cardiovascular, infectious and brain diseases. We use X-ray crystallography in combination with biochemical and biophysical methods to investigate how proteins and drugs regulate the structure, function and dynamics of the microtubule cytoskeleton.
Michel Steinmetz, Head of PSI Center Life Sciences and Group leader
Regulation of microtubule structure, function and dynamics
Andrea Prota, Scientist
Molecular mechanisms of microtubule-targeting agents
In memory of Guido Capitani (1970 – 2017)
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