The spatial organization of the cellular cytoplasm has fascinated cell biologists

since the advent of microscopy. We are interested in elucidating how complex

micron-sized microtubule arrays are organized and function to facilitate mitosis

progression, ciliogenesis, and neuronal maturation. Moreover, we examine how

nuclear transport receptors (karyopherins/importins) modulate the organization of microtubule-based structures (e.g., spindle and axoneme) via canonical and non-canonical activities. Through our work, we aim to discover the mechanistic links between the cytoskeletal organization and vital cell functions. Our approach is to reconstitute and image the self-organization of microtubule-

based structures from the protein building blocks. We further apply an interdisciplinary approach to uncover cellular mechanisms, combining structural biology (cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography), biophysical, and cell biology methods.