Cytoskeletal filaments are vital components of the eukaryotic cell, serving structural roles and as platforms for molecular motors and compartmentalised signalling. Their variety, dynamism and regulation allows adoption of cell-type specific shapes, morphogenesis and motility in response to signalling cues. Cytoskeletal organisation is regulated by an array of binding partners. Cytoskeletal filaments and associated proteins are indispensable to eukaryotic cellular fundamentals including cell division, differentiation and plasticity. Their dysfunction or hijack are implicated in cancers, neurological conditions and infectious diseases.

Our Group elucidates the mechanisms of cytoskeletal regulators and molecular motors integral to cellular function and dysfunction, primarily using the powerful and popular technique of cryo-electron microscopy to determine structure-function relationships at various scales. Bridging the cellular and molecular scales, we also unveil cytoskeletal architectures defining cellular compartments, morphogenesis and motility in health and disease using cryo-electron tomography in situ.