RESEARCH

One of the fundamental questions in cell biology is how the cytoplasm, which displays exquisite organization on the micron scale, can be patterned by macromolecular complexes that are three orders of magnitude smaller, generally extending on the scale of nanometers. The research in my lab aims to uncover universal and conserved principles that the cell uses to decide when and where new microtubules are generated. We take advantage of the recent advances in structural determination from the cryo-EM resolution revolution, as well as classical cell biology, biochemical, and biophysical approaches, to better understand the structure of microtubules and microtubule regulators across eukaryotes, including early-diverging unicellular parasites, to learn how cytoskeletal regulation evolved and to develop new therapeutic approaches to address neglected parasitic tropical diseases.

Publications:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/sophie.travis.1/bibliography/public/