There will be an informal seminar held at 15:00 in the Biffen Lecture Theatre on Thursday 16th March 2017.

Professor Kerry Bloom from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Dep. of Biology) will be speaking and the title of the talk is,

''Building molecular springs that drive chromosome segregation''

Abstract:
Centromeres are specialized domains of heterochromatin that provide the foundation for the kinetochore. The kinetochore is essential for chromosome segregation and propagation of our species. At metaphase, pulling forces at the kinetochore-microtubule interface create tension by stretching the centromeric chromatin between oppositely oriented sister kinetochores. This tension is required for proper bi-orientation of sister chromosomes as well as for satisfaction of the spindle assembly checkpoint and entry into anaphase. Using principles from polymer physics we will discuss how megabases of floppy DNA is organized into a molecular spring that drives chromosome segregation.

Host: Marco Geymonat