My area of research focuses on how the cellular skeleton is formed and maintained. Fundamentally, microtubules are comprised of just 3 proteins, however, their functions are diverse. During cell division MTs lock onto and pull apart chromosomes, as well as providing pushing and pulling forces, morphing cells into different shapes. I am interested in microtubules in neurons, whereby they a- form tracks for motor machinery to transport organelles, and b- provide pushing forces for dendritic and axonal elongation during neuronal growth. I am investigating how the neuron can regulate its dendritic complexity by initiating site specific growth of microtubules. Drosophila neurons do not use centrosomes as microtubule organising centers (MTOCS), but likely use fragments of Golgi (Golgi outposts). I am investigating the relationship between Golgi Outposts and MT proteins with MT events in Drosophila, hopefully to shed light on nervous system regulation and complexity.
