Check out our new Preprint!

by Heidi Hehnly in ,

The Hehnly Lab’s 1st preprint, led by Lindsay Rathbun with the help of many people including our graduate student Abrar Aljiboury and postbac Julie Manikas, along with Josh Bembenek’s laboratory (University of Michigan with X Bai from the NIH) and Jeff Amack’s laboratory (UPSTATE Medical School, Syracuse NY). We found some crazy large centrosomes in extremely large zebrafish embryo cells that scale with changes in cell size! We didn’t leave out C. elegans either. Check it out here:

PLK1- and PLK4-Mediated asymmetric mitotic centrosome size and positioning in the early zebrafish embryo.

Also check out a zebrafish embryo dividing cells! Microtubules (EMTB-GFP) on left and centrosomes (centrin-GFP) on right.

Discover & share this Animated GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

Bio Art Mixer 7, ONLINE! This Friday (April 24) at 7PM

by Heidi Hehnly in , ,

Boryana, Ed, and I thought what better way to relax than chat about some art and biology.  I know I can use something positive and fun to think about, so why not virtually get together and listen to bio-artist Kira O’Reily and biologist Margaret McCoy talk about their work.  Ed Morris will be moderating discussion where you can ask questions in the chat or live via zoom. We can’t offer snacks as usual, but you can bring your own and I will raise a glass to toast our excellent speakers and friends who can make it. Please spread the word.

Kira O’Reily is an Artist and Lecturer based out of Helsinki, Finland. Visit her website here: https://about.me/kira_oreilly and her presentation will focus on menopause, where she will create a discussion around the affects of hormone and endocrine systems across bodies, species, and environments. 

Margaret McCoy is a graduate student in Melissa Pepling’s laboratory (http://peplinglab.syr.edu/index.html) and will be discussing how general anesthetics affect reproductive organ function and cognitive behavior.

You can find out more information on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/541575356738511/?active_tab=about

Margaret’s image on left, and Kira’s image on right.

Margaret’s image on left, and Kira’s image on right.

NOA! on the project entitled "Cenexin and Plk1: A sensor for Chromosome Alignment"

by Heidi Hehnly in ,

The Hehnly Lab is super excited to get another 3 years of funding from the DOD on the project entitled: “Cenexin and Plk1: A sensor for Chromosome Alignment”. This project would have never gotten off the ground without the awesome studies by my talented graduate student Erica Colicino with contributions from many lab members (Mike Bates, Katrina Stevens, Alice Garrastegui, Erin Curtis, Lindsay Rathbun, Julie Manikas…) Check out the papers here:

Colicino et al. “Chromosome misalignment is associated with PLK1 activity at cenexin-positive mitotic centrosomes” MBoC 2019

Colicino et al. “Regulating a key mitotic regulator, PLK1” Cytoskeleton 2018

Colicino et al. “Gravin regulates centrosome function through PLK1” MBoC 2018

Also we had a really great collaboration with Dr. John Scott’s group, specifically his student Paula Bucko who worked with my graduate student Lindsay Rathbun to incorporate a chemical genetics system to inhibit PLK1 at centrosomes in zebrafish embryos. This study provides a great rationale for our current proposed studies to explore the role of PLK1 at centrosomes, specifically at mother centriole appendages, during cell division and its contribution to chromosome instability. Check out the collaborative study here:

Bucko PJ et al. “Subcellular drug targeting illuminates local kinase action” ELife 2020

STED image taken from Colicino et al. MBoC 2018

STED image taken from Colicino et al. MBoC 2018