My ongoing work tackles the principles of self-organization and mechanical integrity of mitotic spindle in metaphase [1,2]. The modeling approach I use builds upon the classical theory of elasticity and takes into account the statistical mean-field description of motor and cross-linking proteins. The models of metaphase spindle without and with biochemical and mechanical perturbations are developed and validated with regard to the continuous input from experiments conducted in the collaborating laboratory.

I also seek to connect the biochemical details of cell division to the cell cycle, in order to establish how external and internal factors, such as nutrient availability and DNA damage, affect its progression. Ultimately, I aim to understand the universal behavior of chemical networks responsible for the proper progression of cell cycle phases in different cell types.

[1] Novak, M., Polak, B., Simunić, J. et al. The mitotic spindle is chiral due to torques within microtubule bundles. Nat Commun, 9:3571 (2018).
[2] Kajtez, J., Solomatina, A., Novak, M. et al. Overlap microtubules link sister k-fibres and balance the forces on bi-oriented kinetochores, 7:10298 (2016).

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