Cell Cycle, Cytoskeleton, and Host-pathogen Interactions

Bill Sullivan, Professor of Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology

The Sullivan lab is interested in the structural events that drive cell division and how these events are coordinated. We investigate the mechanisms that drive cytokinesis and chromosome segregation upon exit from metaphase. We are particularly interested in how these two events are spatially and temporally coordinated and the adaptive responses of the cellular division machinery to broken, lagging and rearranged chromosomes.

Another focus of the lab is to explore the molecular and cellular interactions between the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia and its insect and nematode hosts. Wolbachia is present in the majority of insects species, inherited maternally and manipulates host reproduction in extraordinary ways to enhance its own transmission. Wolbachia also maintains a symbiotic relationship with pathogenic filarial nematodes, such as Brugia malayi, and is the causative agent of Elephantiasis and Riverblindness, diseases afflicting 150 million people globally. In addition to exploring Wolbachia-host interactions, we have developed high-throughput screening procedures to identify potent anti-Wolbachia compounds to be used in combating these diseases.