# Gardner Lab MIRA Proposal: Microtubules and Mitosis

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2024 · $64,539

## Abstract

The Gardner Laboratory uses a combination experimental and computational approach to
dissect molecular mechanisms for how microtubule lengths are regulated inside of cells. 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 during mitosis. Achieving the goals described in this application will allow
us to expand the sources of tubulin that can be used for imaging of microtubule dynamics, thus
establishing stronger connections between cellular and organismal phenotypes, especially
through the use of targeted mutagenesis. Our first project will involve the pathogenic yeast
Candida albicans. Thus, we will advance our understanding of (a) how C. albicans microtubule
dynamics compare to mammalian microtubule dynamics, (b) how a range of current
microtubule-targeting drugs differentially alter microtubule dynamics in C. albicans relative to
mammalian tubulin, and (c) how changes in microtubule dynamics parameters lead to the
disruption of cell division in the pathogenic yeast C. albicans, as compared to in human cells.
Further, we expect that computational modeling and ultrastructural analysis of C. albicans
tubulin will allow us to connect molecular-level and cellular-level drug phenotypes and
outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11034602
- **Project number:** 3R35GM126974-06S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Melissa Gardner
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $64,539
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-05-01 → 2029-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11034602

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11034602, Gardner Lab MIRA Proposal: Microtubules and Mitosis (3R35GM126974-06S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11034602. Licensed CC0.

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