Welcome to the Biggins Lab. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms that ensure accurate chromosome segregation and thus maintain genomic stability and prevent human disease. Sue Biggins, our Principal Investigator, is the Senior Vice President and Director of the Basic Sciences Division at Fred Hutch and an Investigator with The Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
We aim to understand how cells get the right chromosomes. Aneuploidy is the condition where cells contain the wrong number of chromosomes and it is the most common chromosomal abnormality in cancers and the cause of birth defects and other diseases. We therefore study the underlying mechanisms that regulate cell division and chromosome segregation to ensure accurate self-renewal, proliferation and development. We take an interdisciplinary approach that combines biochemical, biophysical, cell biological, genetic and structural approaches using yeast and human cells as model systems.
Tension can directly suppress Aurora B kinase-triggered release of kinetochore-microtubule attachments. de Reg, AK, Clark CJ, Asbury CL, and Biggins, S. Nat Commun 13, 2152
A transcriptional roadblock protects yeast centromeres. Hedouin, S, Logsdon GA, Underwood JG, and Biggins S. Nucleic Acids Research, 2022
chTOG is a conserved mitotic error correction factor. Herman JA, Miller MP, Biggins S. eLife. 2020 Dec 30;9:e61773
Sue takes on role of Director of the Board of Scientific Advisors, Jane Coffin Childs
Nairita Maitra receives Jane Coffin Childs postdoctoral fellowship
Daniel Barrero and Sue awarded a 2021 Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study