The Department was established in 1965 by the Academician A.N. Belozersky. From 1967 until 1997 the Department was headed by Professor B.F. Poglazov (1930-2001), corresponding fellow of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Since 1997 the Department has been headed by V.A. Tkachuk, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Russian Academy of Medical Science, Professor.
Major research areas
The works of Department are devoted to cytoskeletal and motor systems of living cells. Our current interests are focused on following themes:
- Mechanisms of microtubule organization in living cells;
- Structure and functions of proteins comprising actin-myosin system (using differential scanning microcalorimetry method);
- Locomotion system in archae cells
Research results
(i) Fundamental works of prof. B.F. Poglazov
(ii) Progress in studying bacterial and archae flagella
(iii) Progress in studying muscular fibers
(iv) Achievements in studying structure and function of microtubules in 1973-1993
(v) Progress in studying microtubule system in animal and plant cells
Grants and projects
In 2011 the Department was financially supported by grants of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research:
- Heat Denaturation and Aggregation of the Major Muscular Proteins – Myosin and Actin, PI – D.I. Levitsky, PhD (No. 09-04-00266)
- The Impact of Myopathy Mutations on Thermostability of Various Tropomyosin Isoforms, PI – O.P. Nikolaeva, PhD (No. 09-04-00339)
- The Role of Microtubule-Based Motor Proteins in the Dynamics of Stress-Induced RNP-granules, PI – P.A. Ivanov, PhD (No. 10-04-01107)
- Molecular Mechanisms of Radial Microtubule Organization and Its Role in Cell Motility, PI – E.S. Nadezhdina, PhD (No. 11-04-01022)
The work was also supported by the grants for distinguished young scientists (2011):
- The Role of Ser/Thr Protein Kinase LOSK and Dynactin Isoforms in Regulation of Mammalian Cell Motility, PI – A.V. Burakov, PhD (No. MK-344.2010.4)
- The Role of Dynactin Phosphorylation in Regulation of Microtubule-Dependent Cell Motility, PI – O.N. Zhapparova, PhD (No. MK-8703.2010.4)
The Laboratory of Cytoskeletal Structure and Function has collaboration with Cell Biology Lab of Dr. Rodionov (University of Connecticut Health Center, Center for Cell Analysis & Modeling, Farmington, USA)
Scientific Awards
Scientific achievements of the Department have been distinguished with the awards of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and Poland Academy of Sciences (for D.I. Levitsky), and by the awards of the Ministry of Higher Education (for M.A. Belozersky, Ya. Ye. Dunaevsky).
Educational activity
Post-graduate students in 2011
- A.A. Sablina, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics
- A.I. Fokin, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics
Students in 2011
- E. Ryabkova, Biological Faculty;
- S. Cherepushkin, Biological Faculty;
- I. Tsymbarevich , Biological Faculty;
- A. Luybitelev, Biological Faculty;
- N. Padalko, Physics Faculty (Biophys. dep.);
Lectures and laboratory courses
- Selected Topics of Molecular Cell Biology (Puschino branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University), E.S. Nadezhdina, PhD, prof.; O.N. Zhapparova, PhD
- Cell Cycle (Biological Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University), E.S. Nadezhdina, PhD, prof.
- Cytogenetics laboratory course (faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics), A.V. Burakov, PhD.
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