# Investigating the Cell Division Machinery

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2023 · $14,689

## Abstract

SUMMARY
Cell division is a complex and specifically orchestrated set of events that culminates in the equal
segregation of sister chromatids into two cells. It relies on a multitude of protein complexes, protein-
protein interactions, and regulatory mechanisms driven by the activities of posttranslational
modification enzymes. The Torres lab uses multidisciplinary approaches to investigate the enzymes
and regulatory mechanisms that are necessary to carry out human cell division with high fidelity,
which are often dysregulated in diseases like cancer. This dynamic research environment provides
students a unique opportunity to obtain broad foundational training in modern cell and molecular
biology. This administrative supplement will allow one talented undergraduate student to immerse in a
comprehensive research and career training experience for ten weeks during the summer of 2023.
The Torres lab will provide a dynamic, inclusive, collaborative, and supportive environment, where the
student will acquire technical, operational, and professional skills that will prepare them for a
biomedical career. The student will carry out research on a novel set of related proteins that localize
to microtubule-based structures and that are important for their function, including mitotic spindle
assembly, which lies within the scope of the original MIRA project. The student will gain rigorous
experimental design skills; statistical and quantitative skills for data analysis; analytical and critical
thinking skills; oral and written communication skills; and an understanding of how to conduct safe
and ethical research studies. The student’s research experience will be coupled with exposure to
broad areas of cell and molecular biology related to the cell cycle and cytoskeleton and the
development of professional skills. This will include student attendance and research presentations at
Torres lab meetings, the UCLA cytoskeleton supergroup meetings, the UCLA undergraduate
research symposium, and molecular biology institute research seminars. Additionally, the student will
receive one-on-one mentoring and hands on training from the PI and a staff research associate on a
regular basis. Together, this comprehensive student-centered mentoring, research training, and
career development plan will enable the student to successfully prepare for a biomedical career.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10796673
- **Project number:** 3R35GM139539-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Jorge Torres
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $14,689
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-03-01 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10796673

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10796673, Investigating the Cell Division Machinery (3R35GM139539-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10796673. Licensed CC0.

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