Prof Jonathon Pines
The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology
University of Cambridge
Cambridge
Investigating how cells divide
Professor Jon Pines is at the forefront of his research field, investigating the fundamental processes that control cell division and finding out how these can go out of control, leading to cancer. He is based at the Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology in Cambridge, and has been funded by Cancer Research UK for more than 15 years.
We are made up of millions upon millions of cells. But cells don't appear from nowhere - they must be created by the division of an existing cell into two daughter cells. Professor Pines is comparing how normal cells and cancer cells control this process, in order to pinpoint what has gone wrong in cancer cells.
Studying proteins
Cell division is tightly controlled by many different proteins that interact with each other, and that are activated and destroyed in a specific order. Professor Pines and his team are investigating some of these molecules in minute detail, looking at their location within living cells, and finding out how they work.
To do this, they are using cutting-edge microscopy techniques that allow the scientists to label specific proteins with fluorescent 'tags'. The researchers hope to find out exactly where and when specific proteins are activated to trigger cell division, and identify other molecules they interact with.
Drugs such as paclitaxel (Taxol) that are used to treat breast and ovarian cancer are designed to target cancer cells that are dividing in an abnormal way. Professor Pines hopes that a better understanding of how cells divide will help to design better drugs and improve treatments for these cancers.
Using innovative and technically demanding approaches, Professor Pines is making significant discoveries that are of great importance for cancer research in the UK. His work is outstanding in the international arena of cell cycle research.
Visit our A-Z topic pages
If you want to help support more research like this, please visit our Donate Now page.
Increase text
Decrease text
Print this page