Measuring the strength needed to move chromosomes

The tiny meiotic spindle, which teases apart chromosomes during cell division, plays a crucial role in maintaining an accurate replication of the genome. Researchers have used biochemical experiments to study it extensively, but until now, no one has been able to examine its mechanical properties. Rockefeller University Professor Tarun Kapoor and colleagues have devised a system to probe these microscopic spindles and have used it for the first time to measure the structure’s stiffness and deformability.

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