Orna C-fix
biotechnology
Bioagri Laboratories
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Biography
The ultimate goal of our research is to understand basic processes that contribute to nuclear morphology and to elucidate the relationship between nuclear structure and nuclear function. Current Research The main research focus of my lab is the relationship between nuclear structure and nuclear function. Altered nuclear shape is observed in certain types of disease, such as cancer and during aging. However, the relationship between changes to nuclear morphology and either disease state or aging is unknown. Moreover, in many cell types, there is a constant ratio between nuclear volume and cell volume. How this ratio is established and its importance to normal cell function is unknown. Finally, there are many basic questions related to nuclear structure and function that remain to be answered. For example, how does the nuclear envelope form at the end of mitosis? What dictates the formation of a single nucleus that encompasses all chromosomes rather than multiple nuclei that contain a subset of chromosomes? How does the nuclear envelope expand? Since the nuclear envelope is continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), what role does the ER play in nuclear morphology? How does the nuclear envelope contribute to the intra-nuclear organization of chromosome domains and how does nuclear morphology affect processes such as DNA replication, transcription, splicing, and repair of DNA damage? Given the link between pathology and nuclear morphology, we expect that gaining insight into the proteins and processes that affect nuclear shape will lead to a better understanding of disease progression, diagnostics, prevention, and treatment.
Research Interest
The ultimate goal of our research is to understand basic processes that contribute to nuclear morphology and to elucidate the relationship between nuclear structure and nuclear function. Current Research The main research focus of my lab is the relationship between nuclear structure and nuclear function. Altered nuclear shape is observed in certain types of disease, such as cancer and during aging. However, the relationship between changes to nuclear morphology and either disease state or aging is unknown. Moreover, in many cell types, there is a constant ratio between nuclear volume and cell volume. How this ratio is established and its importance to normal cell function is unknown. Finally, there are many basic questions related to nuclear structure and function that remain to be answered. For example, how does the nuclear envelope form at the end of mitosis? What dictates the formation of a single nucleus that encompasses all chromosomes rather than multiple nuclei that contain a subset of chromosomes? How does the nuclear envelope expand? Since the nuclear envelope is continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), what role does the ER play in nuclear morphology? How does the nuclear envelope contribute to the intra-nuclear organization of chromosome domains and how does nuclear morphology affect processes such as DNA replication, transcription, splicing, and repair of DNA damage? Given the link between pathology and nuclear morphology, we expect that gaining insight into the proteins and processes that affect nuclear shape will lead to a better understanding of disease progression, diagnostics, prevention, and treatment.
