Our lab studies the relationship between growth and the cell cycle in bacteria. Virtually all organisms in nature, from bacteria to humans, show a relatively narrow range of cell-size distribution. This is a strong indication that life has evolved to regulate cell division, and the cell maintains a size that is appropriate for a given growth condition. We will use genomic sequencing and the mother machine, a microfluidic device developed in my lab for study of a large number of individual cells, to identify the cells that show abnormal growth and division under normal conditions. This work will allow us to answer three questions ranging from the molecular to the cellular level: How is DNA replication related to cell division; how is cell division frequency linked to cell growth, , and how is cell death related to growth physiology. The answers to these questions could have profound implications for our understanding of the growth of all cells, and will, in the future, help us better approach diseases caused by the misregulation of growth and the cell cycle.
Keywords: chromosomes, growth, cell cycle, cell size control, physical approaches
Keywords: chromosomes, growth, cell cycle, cell size control, physical approaches
