BIOMECHANICAL RESILIENCE IN CENTROSOME KINETICS

Marketa Schmidt Cernohorska (UJEP)

Sep 12. 2025, 09:00 — 09:30

Centrosomes are essential protein organelles that orchestrate somatic cell division, enduring immense mechanical tension and forces as they organize the spindle and separate chromosomes. This constant stress necessitates unique biophysical properties and remarkable intrinsic material resilience within these soft matter structures. However, the exact nature of these properties and their maintenance mechanisms remain unknown, primarily due to the centrosome's minuscule size and complex, layered architecture of disordered scaffolding proteins. Existing microscopy techniques struggle to link their intricate structure with their mechanical behavior. My research aims to bridge this critical gap, advancing our understanding of fundamental assembly and mechanical principles, which is crucial for comprehending centrosome pathology, particularly in early cancer development. Uncovering centrosome biophysics extends beyond mere ultrastructural details; it delves into the interactions of scaffolding components. What truly gives centrosomes their unique biomaterial properties? Is it specific bonding between structural fibrillar components, or how they anchor microtubules? Unlike microtubules, built from globular tubulin, centrosomal scaffolds are mainly fibrillar, intrinsically disordered proteins. In this project, I study human centrosomes using an interdisciplinary approach: advanced microscopy to reveal coarse structure and material properties, molecular modeling to predict key proteins, and subsequent purification and condensation of these proteins into functional microtubule nucleation centers to test which combinations define centrosome mechanical integrity. This strategy connects local mechanics with global structural integrity, ultimately unveiling the molecular basis of centrosome function through its unique biophysical characteristics.

 

Further Information
Venue:
ESI Boltzmann Lecture Hall
Associated Event:
Charged Soft Matter: Bridging Theory and Experiment (Workshop)
Organizer(s):
Emanuela Bianchi (TU Vienna)
Peter Košovan (Charles U, Prague)
Christos Likos (U of Vienna)
Roman Staňo (U of Vienna)