You are cordially invited to UNAM Nanocolloquium seminars focusing on advancements in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The seminars bring us the most recent developments in these exciting fields. Next week’s talk will be presented by Dr. Alexander von Appen (MPI of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics).
Nanocolloquium series
Title: Building a minimal nucleus to understand structure and mechanics of assembly
Date: April 15, 2026 (Wednesday)
Time and Venue: 11:00 / UNAM Conference Hall (SU-01)
Abstract:
The nucleus, the largest organelle in human cells, plays a crucial role in protecting, organizing, and regulating our genome. Despite its complexity, it undergoes remarkable dynamics during cell division: as the cell enters mitosis, nuclear organization dissolves, leading to the detachment of the nuclear membrane from chromatin. The nucleoplasm and cytoplasm merge into a single entity, while the spindle distributes chromosomes to form daughter cells. Following this “open” mitosis, the entire organelle reassembles within minutes, prompting the central question: what molecular mechanisms drive nuclear self-assembly?
I will present our latest efforts to reconstitute nuclear self-assembly processes, which we study structurally using cryo-electron tomography and mechanically using optical tweezers. Specifically, I will show how ESCRT proteins assemble to close the nuclear membrane and how DNA is organized at the chromatin–nuclear membrane interface.
Short Bio:
PhD, EMBL Heidelberg, with Martin Beck, studying the structure of the human nuclear pore complex
PostDoc, UCSF San Francisco, with Adam Frost, studying the role of phase separation in ESCRT-mediated nuclear membrane assembly
Since 2021, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany