David M. Glover
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Having carried his PhD studying the transcription of the polyoma virus genome in infected mouse fibroblasts in Lionel Crawford’s laboratory in ICRF, London, David was fortunate to participate in the Recombinant DNA revolution at Stanford with David Hogness in the early 1970s. This led to the discovery of sequences that interrupted the ribosomal genes of Drosophila, which was the initial research focus of David Glover’s laboratory, first established at Imperial College, London.
While at Imperial, David was awarded a 10-year personal fellowship from the UK’s Cancer Research Campaign that allowed the lab to open up a new area of research pioneering the use of Drosophila as a model in which to study cell cycle regulation. We began by characterizing the duplication cycles of centrosomes in the rapid nuclear division cycles of Drosophila embryos. This led to genetic studies that discovered and named the Polo and Aurora protein kinases, required for the function of centrosomes at the poles of mitotic spindles.
In 1989, after leaving Imperial to move to the University of Dundee, David’s lab showed that Drosophila Polo kinase was not only required for the mitotic functions of centrosomes but also for cytokinesis. In parallel work on the fission yeast, we identified Polo’s counterpart, Plo1, and showed it too was required to establish functional spindle pole bodies and cytokinetic rings. Remarkably, the localization and function of Polo kinase at the centrosome, the kinetochore and the central spindle in cytokinesis was highly conserved in human cells where its expression was elevated in tumours. This led David to initiate collaborations with Biotech and Pharma to develop small molecule inhibitors of both Polo and Aurora mitotic kinases for use in cancer therapy.
In 1999, David Glover moved to the University of Cambridge to become the 6th Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics. There, we discovered the second main Aurora B kinase required for cells to progress through metaphase and we used genetic approaches to identify and demonstrate the roles of the Greatwall kinase in inhibiting protein phosphatase 2A during mitotic entry and progression.
Over recent years our lab has focused upon centriole duplication following our demonstration that Polo-like-kinase 4 (Plk4) is its master regulator. Indeed, Plk4 expression is able to drive the de novo formation of centrioles in unfertilized Drosophila eggs that lack any centriolar template. In searching for Plk4’s partners, we identified Asterless (Cep152 in human cells) as required to target Plk4 to centrioles and an F-box protein, Slimb – a component of the SCF ubiquitin protein ligase, as responsible for directing any excess Plk4 for destruction. We demonstrated that Plk4 phosphorylates the centriole protein Ana2/STIL to enable it to bind the “cartwheel protein” Sas6 and thus initiate procentriole formation, the first step of centriole duplication. This led to our current studies on the centriole duplication pathway in Drosophila, human and mouse.
Paula Almeida Coelho
RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Paula completed her undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at Porto University in Portugal, followed by a PhD in which she researched the crucial elements that define a centromere. This study sparked an interest in understanding the regulation of the connection between sister chromatids. Paula identified the Cohesins and Condensins complexes in Drosophila. By studying Toposiomerase II role at the sister chromatid cohesion, she established a link between Aurora B and Topoisomerase II, targeted by widely used cancer drugs. This work highlighted the importance of understanding genetic and cellular contexts before applying therapies.
Paula’s passion for studying the mitotic machinery led her to explore cell division in the early mouse embryo, a unique system for its acentriolar initial divisions. This provided an exciting opportunity to investigate spindle assembly mechanisms without centrioles. After joining David Glover’s lab, Paula identified additional functions for Plk4, a key regulator of centriole duplication, demonstrating its role in promoting bipolar spindle assembly and microtubule growth independently of centrioles during mitosis and in meiosis together with Aurora A and RanGTPases.
Building on the influence of centrosome numbers on cell proliferation, Paula is currently focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying the effects of supernumerary centrosomes on cancer development. We have shown that supernumerary centrosomes are not tumour drivers per se, but can accelerate tumour development in a Tp53 knockout background. Paula’s goal is to leverage the knowledge of cellular networks and pathways that control centrosome homeostasis to study tissue tolerance for extra centrosomes. To achieve this, she is applying her expertise in mouse models, 3D culture organoids, and various cell and molecular biology areas to investigate tumourigenesis.
Pallavi Panda
POST-DOC
Pallavi completed her PhD in Genetics at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. She studied centrosome biogenesis and function in Drosophila melanogaster using various genetic tools, biochemical approaches, and imaging techniques. Now, she is interested in combining her background in centriole biology to study the role of centrosomes and cilia in early mammalian development using stem cell-based embryo models.
Agota Nagy
POST-DOC
Agota obtained a PhD in Biology from the University of Szeged, Hungary, in 2020. In 2021 she joined the Glover lab as a postdoc. Agota’s research focuses on the centriolar protein Ana1/Cep295 and its interacting partners in Drosophila melanogaster. Ana1 is the central component of a molecular network, extending from the inner to the outer part of the centriole. This network is responsible for the process of centriole to centrosome conversion, enabling the nucleation of microtubules and centriole duplication. Ana1 also plays an essential role in the elongation and maintenance of centrioles. Now, Agota’s using the sophisticated genetic tools available in Drosophila to define the independent functions of Ana1’s domains and their interactions with other key centriolar proteins.
Inês Baião Santos
POST-DOC
Inês completed a BSc in Biomedical Pharmacy, followed by a MSc in Cellular and Molecular Biology, at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. She then received a fellowship to work in the Light Microscopy Facility, at the University of Algarve, where she discovered the fascinating world of visualizing biological processes. Inês pursued a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Algarve, Portugal, focusing on the mechanisms regulating cell proliferation in eukaryotes. Using a wide range of genetic tools and imaging techniques, she characterized Mob genes and investigated their effects on the modulation of signaling pathways during development. Currently, Inês is a postdoctoral researcher studying the regulation of centriole numbers, and the interplay between DNA and centrosome licensing, aiming to uncover new insights into centriole duplication and potential implications for cancer biology.
Vickie Yang
PhD STUDENT
Vickie did her undergraduate study at Peking University majoring in Biological Science, and is now a graduate student in Biology at Caltech. Vickie’s interests focus on the mechanisms of centriole number control and its relationship with cilia regulation and cell proliferation.
Xieze Xu
PhD STUDENT
Xieze graduated from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong with the highest GPA among his medical science cohort. During his undergrad, Xieze studied the downstream effector of PI3KR2 under the supervision of Dr Lydia Cheung Wai Ting. Later, he pursued the Master of Philosophy (by research) at the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge with Dr Hansong Ma, using a forward genetics screen in Drosophila to identify novel mitochondrial dynamics regulators. During his time at Cambridge, Xieze developed a profound interest in fly work and inter-organelle communication. Xieze is now trying to decode the organelle language using fly models at the Glover lab.
Anthony Gutierrez
PhD STUDENT
Anthony grew up in the Los Angeles area and acquired his Bachelors of Science in Microbiology at California State University – Northridge. He cultivated an interest in genetics and pathology during his undergraduate experiences performing research on bacteria, yeast, and nematodes. As a PhD student, Anthony is interested in how ubiquitin specific peptidases regulate duplication of centrioles and how they may contribute to supernumerary centrioles and tumourigenesis.
Darren Chieng
LAB TECHNICIAN
Darren did his undergraduate studies at UCSD with a Cell Biology and Biochemistry major and a postbaccalaureate at CSUEB.
Alumni
Here is a list of former members of our lab:
Richard Adams – University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Ahmed Ahmed – University of Oxford, England
Shahad Albadri – University of Heidelberg, Germany
Luke Alphey – University of Oxford, England
Vincent Archambault – University of Montreal, Canada
Myles Axton – Nature Genetics New York, USA
Vitor Barbosa – Gulbenkian Institute, Oeiras, Portugal
Monica Bettencourt-Dias – Gulbenkian Institute, Oeiras, Portugal
Sarah Blagden – Imperial College, London, England
Michael Browne – Newcastle, England
Leah Bury – Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, USA
Lizzy Button – SOAS, London, England
Lorna Campbell – University of Dundee, Scotland
Luisa Capalbo – University of Cambridge, England
Mar Carmena – University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Nuno Carmo – Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal
Lee Carpenter – University of Oxford, England
Feng Chen – Grays, Essex, England
Yu Wai Chen – Kings College, London, England
Jennifer Chu
Diane De Cicco – Paris, France
Matthew Collard – University of Nottingham, England
Chris Conor
Patricia Alexandra Brito da Costa – Kings College, London, England
John Crang
Fiona Cullen – University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Pier Paolo D’Avino – University of Cambridge, England
Jane Davies – University of Sussex, England
Peter Deak – Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary
Stephen Delaney – AstraZeneca, England
Nathalie Delgehyr – Laboratory of Cilia Biology and Neurogenesis, Paris, France
Mary Donaldson – University of Glasgow, Scotland
Brian Fenton – Scottish Crop Research Institute
Claudia Ferreira – University of Cambridge, England
Inês da Cunha Ferreira – Gulbenkian Institute, Oeiras, Portugal
Alice Field
Annie Fitzsimmons – University of Warwick, England
Matthew Freeman – University of Cambridge, England
Jingyan Fu – China Agricultural University, China
Maria Furia – Universita di Napoli Federico II, Italy
Alessia Galasso – University of Naples, Italy
Melanie Gatt – Auckland, New Zealand
Regis Giet – Universite de Rennes I, France
Agata Gluszek – University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Susana Godinho – Barts Cancer Institute, England
Cayetano Gonzalez – IRB Barcelona, Spain
Liv Grant
Seiki Haraguchi – Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan
David Hayward – Australian National University
Daryl Henderson – State University of New York, USA
Nadine Henderson – Stony Brook University, USA
Yoshihiro Inoue – Kyoto Institute of Technology, Japan
Bertrand Jordan – Marseille-Nice-Genopole, France
Tibor Kalmar – Biological Research Center, Szged, Hungary
Roger Karess – Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
Simon Kidd – Columbia University, USA
Yuu Kimata – ShanghaiTech University, China
Karolina Lada – University of Oxford, England
Yaseen Ladak
Mark Leibowitz – Napp Pharmacueticals, Cambridge
Huai-Xue Lin – University of Cambridge, England
Zoltan Lipinszki – Biological Research Centre, Hungary
Salud Llamazares – IRB Barcelona, Spain
Caroline Malone – University of Cambridge, England
Guojie Mao – Huntingdon Life Sciences Ltd, Huntingdon, England
Ana Martins – Gulbenkian Institute, Oeiras, Portugal
Endre Mathe – Nyiregyhazi Foiskola, Hungary
Aveek Mazumdar – Indiana University, Bloomington, USA
Alan McClelland – Cancer Rsearch Center of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
Hayden McDermott – University of Cambridge, England
Doris McLean – CXR Biosciences Ltd, Scotland
Sarah Millar – University of Pennsylvania, USA
Ross Miller – Babraham Institute, England
Gianlucca Minestrini – Hoffmann-LaRoche, Switzerland
Tania Minns – University of Liverpool, England
Emilie Montembault – University of Cambridge, England
Katharine Morley – University of Bristol, UK
Daniel Mulvihill – University of Kent, England
Tom Naughton
Melanie Oakley – Edinburgh University, Scotland
Hiroyuki Ohkura – University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Andrew Page – University of Oxford, England
Margit Pal – Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary
Sarah Pallett
Huw Parry – University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England
John Pearson – Universidad de Pablo de Olavide, Spain
Alastair Philp – ISD, Scotland
Silke Pichler – Cambridge, England
Xavier Pinson – University of Montreal, Canada
Berenika Plusa – University of Manchester, England
Marcin Przewloka – University of Southampton, England
Jordan Raff – University of Oxford, England
Sigurd Ramans – Harborough University of York, England
Magda Richter – AstraZeneca, UK
Heli Roiha – Berkeley Symphony Orchestra
Ana Isabel Machado Roque – University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
Robert Saunders – Open University, England
Matthew Savoian – Massey University, New Zeland
Sandra Schneider
Scott Selleck – University of Minnesota, USA
Bedra Sharif
Rita Sinka – University of Szged, Hungary
Deborah Smith – University of York, England
Miguel Soares – University of Cambridge, England
Mart Speek – Tallinna Tehnikaulikool, Estonia
Barbara Spruce – University of Dundee, Scotland
Claudio Sunkel – Universidade do Porto, Portugal
Xavier Tait
Tetsuya Takeda
Alvaro Tavares – University of Algarve, Portugal
George Tzolovsky – Zeiss, England
Zsolt Venkei – Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary
Koen Verbrugghe – University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
Alan Wainman – University of Oxford, England
Emma Warbrick – University of Dundee, Scotland
Eva Wegel – University of Oxford, England
Kipp Weiskopf – Stanford University, USA
Wendy Wen – Imperial College, London, England
Rowina Westermeier – Royal Holloway College, London, England
Bradley White – Trent University, Canada
Helen White-Cooper – University of Cardiff, Wales
William Whitfield – University of Dundee, Scotland
Ulrich Wiegand – University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Uta Wieland – Koln, Germany
Lucy Williams – University of Cambridge, England
Edward Wojcik – Louisiana State University, USA
Rochele Yamamoto – Brown University, USA
Yutaka Yamamoto – Brown University, USA
Young Yang – University College, London, England
Eirene Yeung – Imperial College, London, England
Dawn Yu
Xiao-Hua Zhang – Ocean University of China, China
Xinbei Zhao – Shanghai, PR China
Ahmed Balboula – University of Missouri, USA
Laura Bond – MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, UK
Alexis L. Braun – University of Cambridge, UK
Nikola (Nick) Dzhindzhev – Gene Weaver, UK
Agnieszka Fatalska – MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, UK
Levente Kovács – Babeș-Bolyai University, Romania
Ramona Lattao – National Research Council (CNR), Italy
Helene Rangone –
We have lost contact with the following former members of our lab:
Catherine Addison
A Cheshire
Brian Dalby
Lisa Frenz
Ginka Genova-Seminova
Charles Girdham
Alyssa Harley
Thomas Howard
Joe Laycock
Steve Legon
William Lock
Gabriela Maldonado-Codina
Regina Mayer-Jaekel
Kevin Neoh
Mahmoud Omar
Christopher Read
Lesley Woods
The following former members of the lab have sadly died:
Maria do Carmo Avides
Anna-Maria Bergh
Kim Kaiser
Georgina Rimmington
Roberto Santelli
Adelaide Carpenter