Postdoctoral Fellow, Paluch Lab
Twitter @AgChaigne
Research Synopsis
I am interested in how cells control their shape and sizes and how this is important for cell function. Many cells divide symmetrically but some cells can divide asymmetrically in size generating two cells of different volume. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells that can give rise to the three germ layers. Evidence indicates they can maintain pluripotency whilst giving rise to progenitor cells for all the embryo cells, suggesting that they are capable of asymmetric division. However, the cell biology of embryonic stem cell division is poorly understood. Interestingly, embryonic stem cells have mechanical properties very different from their differentiated counterparts, and their fate is strongly influenced by the mechanical properties of the substrate, suggesting that stem cell division might be asymmetric with respect to daughter cell mechanics. Using live microscopy and microfabrication, I am currently investigating how cell division is regulated in mouse embryonic stem cells.
Biography
Awards
2016 | Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship
2016 | Human Frontier Science Program Post-Doctoral Fellowship
2015 | Young researcher prize, Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation
2015 | PhD prize Le Monde de la Recherche Universitaire
2015 | Travel Grant, EMBO workshop
2015 | Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting alumni
2014 | Student award and poster Prize, “Physics and Biological Systems” meeting
2013 | ITMO BCDE Grant, ASCB Meeting (declined)
2013 | Société de Biologie Cellulaire Française Grant, ASCB Meeting
Funders
Wellcome Trust
Research Themes
Technology
Light microscopy