A breakthrough at IRB Barcelona fills a knowledge gap in
understanding how the cell division apparatus, the mitotic spindle, is formed.
The in vivo visualization and monitoring of the starting
points of microtubules — filaments responsible for organising the mitotic
spindle — provides novel insight into the dynamic architecture of this
structure.
The findings will also contribute to understanding how the
mitotic spindle is perturbed by drugs that target microtubules and that are
used in chemotherapy.