Dr. Sharyn Endow

Biography

Sharyn Anne Endow is a Professor in the Department of Cell Biology at Duke University. Her research laboratory focuses on the mechanisms that ensure proper chromosome transmission in dividing cells. Her laboratory's studies have significantly contributed to the identification of molecular motor proteins and force-generating proteins that underlie spindle and chromosome movements during cell division. Current research efforts are directed towards understanding the molecular basis of motor force production and the contribution of forces produced by motor proteins to spindle and chromosome dynamics in living cells. Notably, her lab has utilized molecular genetics and biophysical assays to ascertain the underlying factors influencing the directionality of the Ncd motor protein, which was discovered in her laboratory, compared to the kinesin microtubule motor protein. The Ncd motor is vital for spindle assembly and chromosome division in Drosophila oocytes and early embryos. Sharyn's work highlights the impact of structural and functional variations in motor proteins on their directional movement along microtubules. Her ongoing studies aim to elucidate the force-generating mechanisms employed by kinesin motor proteins, addressing major questions regarding their ATP utilization and the molecular determinants of the forces they generate. Through structure/function methods and genetically encoded molecular tension sensors, her findings are pivotal for understanding fundamental cellular processes, particularly those related to cell division and transport, which are critical to grasping the abnormalities associated with cancers and other human diseases.

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