Li Tao Junior Researcher (INBRE IV)

Li Tao
Assistant Professor
College of Natural and Health Sciences
University of Hawaii at Hilo

Study of the Regulation of Cell Division

Research Summary:  Cell division is of tremendous interest to the biomedical research community, in large part because uncontrolled cell division is the cause of several human diseases including cancer. Mitotic cell division is the process by which identical copies of the replicated genome are segregated into two identical daughter cells. A set of proteins known as the mitotic spindle plays key role both in segregating replicated chromosomes and in cleavage furrow formation. My research has two focuses: 1. Using a combination of in vitro biochemistry and in vivo cell biology to understand the mechanisms driving the formation and functioning of the mitotic spindle. 2. Analysis of the mitotic effects of potential anti-cancer drugs derived from natural Hawaiian products.