Caitlin Mellor

Profile

Project Title: Logical modelling to elucidate the role of cell cycle phospho-regulation at the kinetochore

Summary: This project aims to create a mathematical model that predicts how changes in phosphorylation of proteins drives cell division. Cell division is a prerequisite for all life on earth; from bacteria to humans, cells division allows organisms to reproduce and creates specialised tissues and organs in multicellular organisms.

Cell division during adult life regenerates damaged tissues but, when unregulated, is also the cause of cancer. We aim to use novel biological data to model how the activity of kinases drives cell cycle progression, initially on a small scale, but building a framework that can be applied globally to the thousands of proteins in the cell. The model will identify key regulatory phosphorylation events and thus potential drug targets for regulating cell division. 

Supervisor:

• Dr Peter Thorpe

Research