This award supports a 2-year collaborative research project between Dr. Debra J. Wolgemuth, Columbia University and Dr. Kunsoo Rhee, Seol National University, Korea. The proposed collaboration aims to explore the function of a human NIMA-like kinase, Nek2 during development of germ cells and other cell types. The long-term goal of the research effort is to elucidate the genetic program controlling the mitotic and meiotic divisions of the germ line cells, with particular consideration of the evolutionary conservation of the regulation of these processes.
This collaborative proposal outlines genetic and biochemical experiments to begin to determine the role of Nek2, a putative mammalian homologue of aspergillus nimA. The results can provide insight into the function of the NIMA pathway in mammalian meiosis, providing new understanding of the control of meiosis in higher organisms as well as information on the evolutionary conservation of cell division processes.
This project will be performed in conjunction with Dr. Kunsoo Rhee at Korea under the U.S.-Korea Cooperative Science Program. The collaborative interaction will provide for sharing of expertise and resources. This project is relevant to the objectives of the U.S.-Korea Cooperative Science Program, which seeks to increase the level of cooperation between U.S. and Korean scientists and engineers through the exchange of scientific information, ideas, skills, and techniques and through collaboration on problems of mutual benefit. Korean participation is supported by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF).
