Studying cell division coordination in artificial cells using microfluidics

Whether a cell will grow and divide is a highly regulated decision that
is controlled by a large and complex network of genes, RNAs and
proteins. Healthy development and tissue homeostasis of organisms
depends critically on this cell cycle regulatory network. So far, a great
deal of work has gone into identifying crucial proteins and their
interactions in the cell cycle regulatory network. However, it is still not
fully understood how the dynamic interactions between the different
regulatory proteins lead to biochemical oscillations that drive the cell
cycle forward. Moreover, it is unclear how the regulatory network
changes through development, triggering a transition from fast
(~25min) cell divisions in early embryonic cells to much slower
divisions (~24h) in somatic cells.

To answer these questions, we will use a combination of cell-free
extracts of frog eggs reconstituting cell cycle oscillations in vitro, and
early frog and zebrafish embryos in vivo. In order to have accurate
control over the environment (temperature, chemical environment,
physical containment) and perturbations (inhibitors, activators,
nuclear material e.g. DNA), we will develop microfluidic devices. This
will allow us to study in detail the contribution of individual proteins in
generating robust cell cycle oscillations driving cell division.