Assembling complex biological structures

摘要

My work on the centrosome, which is the primary microtubule-organizing centre in animal cells, started when I was a post-doctoral researcher in the David Glover laboratory at the Cambridge University Department of Genetics. Subsequently, I started my laboratory at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC) in Oeiras, close to Lisbon, Portugal, in 2006. Our research focuses on the regulation of cell-cycle progression in normal development and cancer. We are particularly interested in the roles of centrosomes and cilia, as little is known about their biogenesis or how it might go awry in human disease. In our research, we use an integrated approach, combining studies in the fruit fly (Drosophila melano-gaster), and normal and cancerous human cells, along with bioinformatics and mathematical modelling. We predict that an understanding of the formation and function of centrosomes and cilia will generate new markers in cancer and ciliary diseases, and will provide novel therapeutic targets. I was very happy when I heard that I had received the Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators, as it recognized our work and gave visibility to our science. This is crucial when starting a group in a small country, such as Portugal, where investment and productivity in science have come about relatively recently. The IGC is a recently renovated international research institute with excellent facilities, where truly multidisciplinary work is promoted. Perhaps the Eppendorf Award will motivate people throughout the world to consider Portugal, in particular the IGC, for their studies. In the following article, we describe some of our research in the context of developments in the field.