Towards Bottom-up Reconstitution of a Minimal Division Machinery: Characterization of FtsZ chimera protein outside the cell

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Building 2, Level 5, Room 5209

Abstract

Cell division is one of the most distinctive characteristics of living cells. The machinery has evolved into a well-organized set of proteins with the ultimate goal to split a mother cell into two surviving daughter cells. In the case of bacteria, and in particular Escherichia coli, the main protein in charge of cell-division is the FtsZ ring. As part of a larger effort towards the creation of a minimal cell, my work characterized the FtsZ protein as the main component of the minimal division machinery. Our main goals were to understand the mechanisms governing the emergence and steady-state dynamics of FtsZ chiral vortices in supported bilayers and to characterize the different factors that play a role in the dynamic properties of the FtsZ rings .

Research Interests

My research interests are focused on minimal cells from generation to application. I am currently a postdoc at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in the Guell Lab working in a joint collaboration between UPF and KAUST towards the engineering of cell-free biosynthetic pathways.

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