Investigating Cell Cycle Regulation
The Lab
We use a combination of cell, molecular and computational biology, genetics, genomics and biochemistry to explore a variety of fundamental cell cycle questions, mostly in yeast.
Meet the LabResearch Focus
The lab is currently focusing on two broad areas: the regulation of DNA replication timing and the regulation of cell size.
For replication timing, we are studying both how and why different parts of the genome replicate at different times. Replication timing is controlled by the timing of replication origin firing; we have shown that the average timing of origin firing is a direct consequence of origin efficiency and we are now investigating how that efficiency is regulated. We are also developing high-throughput, genome-wide, single-molecule assays to characterize replication kinetics in mammalian cells.
For cell size control, we are trying to figure out how cells know how big they are. In fission yeast, it appears that the size-dependent regulation of entry into mitosis is regulated by the size-dependent accumulation of two mitotic activators: Cdc13, the CDK1-activating cyclin, and Cdc25, the CDK1-activting phosphatase. We are testing if cell-size-dependent regulation of these proteins is necessary and/or sufficient for size control and, if so, how the are expressed is a size-dependent manner.
Publications
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Contact Us
Office:
Lazare Research Building 904
Lab:
940 D-E
Phone:
508-856-8316 (office)
Email:
Nick.Rhind@umassmed.edu
Mailing Address:
UMass Chan Medical School
Attn: Dr. Nick Rhind/BMB Department
364 Plantation St. LRB904
Worcester, MA 01605
Join Us
We are always interested in applications from qualified candidates at postdoctoral and research associate levels.
Read more here
Undergraduates interested in pursuing a PhD at UMass Chan Medical School should apply directly to the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Program.