Department of Biochemistry University of Oxford Department of Biochemistry
University of Oxford
South Parks Road
Oxford OX1 3QU

Tel: +44 (0)1865 613200
Fax: +44 (0)1865 613201
Header picture

News

Four BBSRC Vacation Studentships on offer
BBRSC Research Experience Placements The Department of Biochemistry has been selected to participate in the BBSRC Vacation Bursaries scheme as one of BBSRC's top training environments. Four placements are available this year Published: 9 February 2010
Winning image for Phenotype magazine
Dr Martinez-Estrada's winning image of a multinucleated giant cell Congratulations to Dr Fernando Martinez-Estrada, the winner of this term's 'Snapshot' research image competition run by Phenotype magazine Published: 4 February 2010
Biochemistry opens its door to sixth-formers again this Summer
A group of Summer School students Budding scientists will have the opportunity this Summer to find out what studying Biochemistry in Oxford is really like, as applications open for the University-wide UNIQ summer school programme. Published: 2 February 2010

All News Items

Vacancies

BBSRC Vacation Studentships
Facilities Maintenance Technician
Post Doctoral Research Associate
Postdoctoral Research Associate: Synthetic Biology of Bacterial Cell Division and Chromosome Segregation
Postdoctoral Research Associate

All Vacancies

News Highlight

Cell division drama unfolds under the microscope

Separation of chromosomes during cell division in the Drosophila embryo. The DNA of the chromosomes is shown in red. During division, the chromosomes are attached to a cage-like structure at their midpoint, the 'centromere', which is shown here in green

Separation of chromosomes during cell division in the Drosophila embryo. The DNA of the chromosomes is shown in red. During division, the chromosomes are attached to a cage-like structure at their midpoint, the 'centromere', which is shown here in green

It's the most dramatic step in cell division and the point of no return in this perfectly orchestrated series of events - the moment when the two sets of chromosomes are pulled apart as a single cell prepares to become two.

Now a collaboration between two groups of researchers in the Biochemistry Department has revealed details of how animal cells control entry into this part of the cell division cycle, known as anaphase.

The work provides a handle on the molecular events underlying cell division which are crucial to our understanding of how cancer develops.

Professors Kim Nasmyth and Ilan Davis and members of their groups have just published their findings in Nature Cell Biology1.

Researchers have known for some time that the two sets of newly replicated chromosomes are held together until they are ready to separate by a protein known as cohesin. Studies by Professor Nasmyth and others have demonstrated that in yeast, destroying cohesin is enough to trigger separation of the chromosomes.

Get Flash to see this player.

Nuclei dividing in an early stage Drosophila embryo. Each nucleus contains two sets of chromosomes which must be aligned neatly before they divide to opposite poles, forming two new daughter nuclei. DNA is shown in red and centromeres in green.

Cohesin is also found in animal cells but researchers have puzzled over whether these cells might rely on a more complicated set of signals to trigger anaphase. The meagre amount of cohesin found on the chromosomes hints that this may be the case.

Read more

Search

 

Events

There are no forthcoming events.

Seminars

Departmental Seminar Professor Bernd Schierwater, 'Trichoplax and Placozoa: A new model system enters the labs' Wednesday 10th Feb, 16:00 Wolfson Seminar Room, Chemistry Research Laboratory Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA
SBCB Seminar Series Jussi Aittoniemi, 'Talks to be given at the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting' Thursday 11th Feb, 14:00 Main Meeting Room, New Biochemistry Building
Special Seminar Dr. Martin Baron, 'tbc' Monday 15th Feb, 09:00 Main Meeting Room, New Biochemistry Building


All Seminars