Since its discovery almost 150 years ago the centrosome is increasingly being recognized as a most impactful organelle for its role, not only as primary microtubule organizing center (MTOC) but also as a major communication center for signal transduction pathways and as a center for proteolytic activities. Its significance for cell cycle regulation has been well studied and we now also know that centrosome dysfunctions are implicated in numerous diseases and disorders including cancer, cystic diseases of the kidney, liver fibrosis, cardiac defects, obesity and several other diseases and disorders.
This new volume reviews the latest advances in the field and provides valuable background information that is readily understandable for the newcomer and the experienced centrosome researcher alike. Due to the interdisciplinary of the subject, it is a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians working in biomedical research, cell biology, cancer biology, reproduction and developmental biology, neuroscience and stem cell research.
Dr. Heide Schatten, University of Missouri, Columbia, is a cell and reproductive biologist with specific expertise in cytoskeletal and centrosome biology. She has published over 300 papers focused on cell and molecular biology of the cytoskeleton and cell organelles including mitochondria and interactions with other cell organelles and cellular structures. She has further published numerous book chapters and edited several special topics journal issues and she edited 18 books with several more books in progress.
Her publications include advanced imaging methods, cellular and molecular biology, cancer biology, reproductive biology, microbiology and space biology. The latter included collaborations with NASA scientists and experiments aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour to examine the effects of spaceflight on cytoskeletal organization during development. She has received numerous awards including grant awards from NASA, NIH, and NSF.