March 11, 2021
Emily Hatch to present Division of Biology Seminar
Submitted by Division of Biology
Emily Hatch, assistant professor in the Human Biology Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, will present "The Unexpected Instability of the Nuclear Envelope" as part of the Division of Biology Seminar Series at 3:30 p.m. Monday, March 15, via Zoom.
The Hatch lab studies the organization and dynamics of the nuclear envelope to understand how its disruption contributes to cancer development. Our current focus is the mechanisms and consequences nuclear membrane ruptures, which cause protein and organelle mislocalization, DNA damage, innate immune signaling and increased cell invasion. We study this process both the main nucleus and micronuclei, independent nuclei that form when missegregated chromosomes recruit their own nuclear envelope at the end of mitosis. Our previous work demonstrated that the micronuclear membrane has a high probability of rupture during interphase and rarely repairs, in contrast to the main nucleus which has a robust repair mechanism. Current work in the lab is focused on how the nuclear membrane repairs, why micronuclei have such a high frequency of membrane failure and developing new tools to study this process and its consequences. By understanding these mechanisms and identifying ways to inhibit or promote membrane rupture, we hope to demonstrate that loss of nucleus compartmentalization is a critical contributor to disease.
If you would like to visit with Hatch, please contact Nick Wallace at nwallac@k-state.edu.