Cell Biology
Cell Biology
The following groups perform research in this area:
Oreste Acuto has now retired, but can still be contacted on the email address on this page
Molecular mechanisms of T cell activation and differentiation
We are interested in understanding how T cells, central actors of adaptive immune responses, become activated when they encounter foreign substances. Dissecting the molecular underpinning of this process...
DNA repair mechanisms and human disease
Our genome is constantly exposed to various types of DNA damage, both endogenous and exogenous. It has been estimated that the DNA in every cell of our body suffers thousands of DNA lesions per day, which, if left unattended, can lead to mutations and/or cell death. Our cells have evolved a variety of mechanisms to counteract...
Deciphering the emerging functions of caspases
Most of the scientific focus on the evolutionarily conserved family of caspases has been aimed at understanding their role as key regulators of cell death. However, recent evidence suggests the involvement of these proteins in alternative cellular functions such as cell proliferation, cell differentiation and cell migration...
From April 2022, Tanmay Bharat's group will be located at the MRC laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, maintaining a small team at the Dunn School.
Structural cell biology of bacterial biofilm formation
Rather than living as single, isolated cells in liquid cultures, most bacteria on this planet form macroscopic, surface-attached,...
Organelle biogenesis and homeostasis
A defining feature of eukaryotic cells is the presence of a variety of membrane-bound organelles. Each one of these organelles has a specialized set of functions and a unique identity conferred by a distinct set of lipid and protein molecules. Our lab studies how organelle identity, function and architecture is generated and...
Genome Stability and Cell Cycle
Our research goal is to elucidate how proliferating human cells safeguard their genomic DNA against various stresses coming from the environment (e.g., radiation, genotoxic agents) and from normal processes of cell growth (e.g., DNA replication, transcription & mitotic chromosome dynamics).
Cell biology of intercellular signalling
The main questions we study are what cellular mechanisms regulate signalling between animal cells, and how does that signalling control biological functions like physiology, development and pathology?
Regulation of mitotic progression and chromosome segregation
Cell division is the fundamental basis for growth and development of an organism. Millions of cell divisions have to occur before an organism reaches its final size. Throughout the life span of an organism, blood, skin and intestinal cells have to be constantly replaced by further cell division. High fidelity...
Molecular dissection of centrioles, centrosomes and cilia
Centrioles organise the assembly of two important cell organelles: centrosomes and the cilia; our goal is to understand how these organelles function at the molecular level.
Flavivirus biogenesis and their strategies for host immune evasion
Dengue and Zika represent two of the major mosquito-borne flaviviruses that collectively have huge health implications worldwide. Dengue infects approximately 400 million people annually, often causing severe pathologies such as vascular endothelial leakage. Zika too has emerged as a global threat with...