Researchers receive funding to explore the mystery of cell movement

A project led by Professor Andrew Goryachev, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will help answer one of biology’s biggest mysteries - how cells move.

Frog egg cell with wave-like pattern the surface
Boosting the activation of Rho GTPases in frog egg cells led to the first experimental observation of wave-like patterns on the cell surface that had never been seen in nature.

The prestigious BBSRC-NSF/BIO award, worth £2 million, will explore the mechanisms that allow cells to move, divide and organise themselves in space – processes which are essential to life itself.

Cells need to move in order to divide, organise themselves into tissues and organs and repair wounds. Specialised cells also rely on movement – for example billions of immune cells patrol our body and countless neurons form new connections in our brain.

The project could lead to insights into what happens when cell movement goes rogue – which drives the development of some of the world’s most challenging diseases, including cancer metastasis and abnormal brain development that leads to microcephaly. 

It could also lead to a better understanding of infectious diseases, such as those caused by parasites that rely on movement to find, invade and spread within the body.

The remarkable ability of cells to coordinate movement is the foundation of life, driving almost every biological process, yet the molecular mechanisms that underpin it remain elusive.

Molecular switches

The project, with long-term US collaborator Professor William Bement, will tackle this by studying the complex mechanisms that allow tiny molecular switches, known as Rho GTPases, to enable cells to move and divide.

Traditional genetic methods of research have reached their limit in yielding insight into this process as disrupting these proteins halted cell movement entirely. 

To overcome this the researchers are using a synthetic biology approach, which applies engineering principles to biology, to gain greater control and insight into the behaviour of these proteins.

This advanced technique will lead to detailed insight into intricate feedback loops and interactions between key molecules that enable a cell to balance push and pull forces that control its movement.

Andrew Goryachev
Professor Andrew Goryachev

Turing's theory

Researchers could also gain insight into a process first theoretically proposed in 1952 by Alan Turing, the famous British mathematician, who developed a mathematical theory to describe patterns and structures found in nature – from leopard spots to the patches of vegetation in arid grasslands.

His founding theory of mathematical biology was that two chemicals moving in space and reacting with each other in predictable ways could explain the mechanisms that lead to the patterns found across the natural world. 

Scientists have long speculated that beyond patterns visible to the naked eye, like spots and stripes on sea shells and animal coats, Turing’s pattern theory could underpin the molecular mechanisms that cells use to organise their movement.

Andrew’s earlier work contributed to the landmark paper in which boosting the activation of Rho GTPases in frog egg cells led to the first experimental observation of wave-like patterns on the cell surface that had never been seen in nature.

Next generation

The new project will expand on this work, continuing to use synthetically re-engineered frog egg cells as a model to explore the behaviour of these proteins in greater depth.

This award is the third in the series of grants jointly awarded by the US National Science Foundation and the UKRI - a recognition of the success of the approach developed by these collaborators.

It will also help to develop the next generation of biomedical researchers, by funding training for early career scientists and providing student exchanges between both institutions.

This grant will enable the scientists at the University of Edinburgh to push the boundaries of what we know about how cells organise themselves in time and space. By understanding how healthy cells work, we move closer to understanding — and ultimately treating —disease.”

Professor Andrew Goryachev Institute of Cell Biology, Centre for Engineering Biology
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