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An original idea. That can't be too hard. The library must be full of them. Stephen Fry

Kinesins are nanometer-scale protein machines that move stepwise along microtubules. Some kinesins haul molecular cargo along microtubules, others crosslink and slide microtubules and still others depolymerise microtubules.

These activities allow cells to self-organize, for example at cell division.

Like Marie Curie, we believe in the power of basic scientific discovery to advance medicine. Several anti-cancer drugs target microtubules, and new drugs are appearing that target kinesins. By elucidating basic biological mechanisms, we aim to engender and inform the development of new therapeutics.

Robert Cross Group Leader

Upcoming 2008 Microtubule Dynamics Workshop

 

 

 

Kinesin's ATP gate Maria Alonso showed that ATP binding triggers kinesin steps by unblocking the leading head.
Eprint


Kinesin backsteps Nick Carter used single molecule optical trapping to show that kinesin can walk backwards.
Eprint
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 Moonwalker our mini-review about recent progress on the kinesin mechanism.
Eprint

Twister Jun Yajima showed that microtubules moving over single-headed kinesins spin around their long axis.
Eprint



 

Last edit 19 April 2008
Nick Carter
Single molecule mechanics
Muriel Erent
Depolymerase kinesins
Doug Drummond
The kinesin binding site on tubulin
Miho Katsuki
Reconstituting microtubule dynamics
Maria Alonso
Moving parts of kinesin
Daniel Schlieper
Bacterial tubulin
Frauke Hussmann
Tubulin polymerases
Kuniyoshi Kaseda
Eg5 mechanism

Dana Gheorghe
S. pombe actin