# Gardner Lab MIRA Proposal: Microtubules and Mitosis

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2021 · $368,860

## Abstract

The Gardner Laboratory uses a combination experimental and computational approach to
dissect molecular mechanisms for how microtubule lengths are regulated inside of cells, and for
how force signaling acts to ensure proper chromosome segregation during mitosis. We use
biophysical computational modeling to better integrate and understand our experimental
observations, make new experimental predictions, and to test whether our proposed cellular
mechanisms are physically reasonable. Overall, we are a cellular biophysics laboratory that
combines cell biology tools with biophysical methods to shed new light on the regulation of
microtubule dynamics, and to dissect forces in mitosis. Achieving the goals described in this
application will provide mechanistic insights into how molecular-scale changes in microtubule
structure could regulate cellular-scale changes in microtubule-associated protein localization
and binding, as well as how changes in chromosome structure and stiffness could affect
cellular-level tension signaling during mitosis. In particular, this application will advance our
understanding of: 1) how microtubule structure can alter protein binding, and vice versa, 2) how
the cell reads out and responds to nuanced tension signaling during mitosis, and 3) how a
disease process such as cancer may alter tension signaling during mitosis, and the specific
impact of aneuploidy, which is a hallmark of cancer cells, on centromere stiffness and tension
signaling during mitosis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10173832
- **Project number:** 5R35GM126974-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Melissa Gardner
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $368,860
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10173832

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10173832, Gardner Lab MIRA Proposal: Microtubules and Mitosis (5R35GM126974-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10173832. Licensed CC0.

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