Cell Growth and Differentiation

Program participants carry out their scientific mission “to serve the Purdue Cancer Center as the central component for basic discovery in cancer cell biology.” The program unites investigators with expertise in cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and developmental biology who are using these approaches to identify molecules and pathways that function to control the growth of cells. The research of program participants emphasizes three areas of investigation:

• Reversible Phosphorylation
  Identifying and characterizing the molecular components of intracellular signaling cascades that impact cell growth and transformation..
• Signaling to the Nucleus
  Understanding how gene expression is controlled and manipulating this regulatory machinery to alter cellular phenotypes.
• Cell-Cell Communication
  Characterizing molecules that regulate the behavior of cells as they function within a developing and/or differentiating tissue, and investigating the status of these molecules in neoplastic disease.

Although the majority of the program’s participants utilize mammalian model systems (including genetically engineered mice) in their research, the Cell Growth and Differentiation Program also includes key members of the Purdue faculty whose research on the molecular basis of eukaryotic growth control takes advantage of the classical genetic approaches available in yeast, fish, C. elegans and Arabidopsis. This breadth of research and the availability of model systems provides the program with unrivaled opportunities for cancer target discovery, validation, and functional integration within pathways critical for “cell growth and differentiation.”