Cell Dynamics And Chromosomal Stability Workshop

September the 4^th, 2023 at China Agricultural University, China

We will hold a workshop for the topic of cell division and migration dynamics and the chromosome segregation control during cell proliferation, with presentations about SpinX, the supported studies by Carl Zeiss, which uses Deep learning techniques for 3D + time series images. Established scientists in this field will be gathered here and give special talks.

No registration fee to join, we requested you to register you name and address below.

Registration Form is Here (or Here if you find difficult to access Google Form)

Programme

13:00 Desk open for the workshop and the poster session. Coffee and Sweets will be served around the registration desk.

13:20 Welcome opening remarks and Keynote speaker short introduction (Prof. Jingyan Fu & Prof. Viji M. Draviam)

13:30 Prof. Viji M. Draviam - Chromosome capture mechanisms that ensure chromosomal stability (40 minutes + 5 minutes discussion)
During cell division, microtubules of the mitotic spindle must facilitate two key tasks. First, to maintain chromosome numbers, microtubules capture and pull apart the duplicated DNA material into two equal sets between the two daughter cells. Second, microtubules power the movement of the mitotic spindle which defines the plane of cell division. To understand both processes, my team uses a variety of cell biology, biochemistry, computational and molecular biology techniques. I will present live-imaging methods developed in my group that demonstrated how chromosomes are captured along microtubule walls and not microtubule-ends. (Shrestha et al., Current Biology 2013), My group’s work revealed the Astrin-SKAP complex as a key microtubule-end binding protein regulator that is selectively recruited to mature chromosome-microtubule attachment sites (Shrestha et al., Nature Communications 2017). We showed the molecular mechanism by which Astrin-SKAP delivers PP1 a phosphatase (Conti et al., eLife 2019) which helped resolve a long-standing puzzle on how sister-kinetochore attachment is achieved early on when the kinetochores do not experience pulling forces (Song et al., Nature communications 2021). More recently, my group has identified naturally occurring variants in Astrin gene that are not tolerated in human cells leading to chromosome missegregation (Asifa et al., under review). Thus, our findings have contributed to explaining how dynamic microtubules are regulated to achieve proper attachment of chromosomes and correct orientation of cell division.

14:20 Prof. Jingyan Fu - Protein architecture at drosophila centriole core (40 minutes + 5 minutes discussion)
Abstract: The centrosome is a highly conserved organelle that serves as the main microtubule-organizing center. It comprises of two orthogonally arranged centrioles surrounded by a mass of protein-rich matrix. In many cell types one centriole provides a template for cilium assembly. Extra copies of centrosomes are common features among cancer cells, whereas defects in ciliogenesis cause a wide range of human diseases including microcephaly and a group of disorders collectively known as the ciliopathies. Genome-wide RNAi screens have identified many molecules critical for centriole duplication, but their organization is far from clear. We have used several super-resolution techniques to investigate the organization of centriolar and peri-centriolar proteins throughout the cell division cycle, and provided a direct view of how centriolar proteins are organized.

15:10 Short break - Coffee/Tea/Sweets (10 minutes)

15:20 Dr. Binghao Chai - AI in biomedical image and movie analysis (30 minutes + 5 minutes discussion)
Abstract: In the evolving field of cell biology, artificial intelligence (AI) offers transformative solutions for image and movie analysis. This talk explores the application of deep learning in cell biology image and movie analysis, discussing existing tools, challenges, and opportunities. We introduce the Zeiss arivis Cloud, an AI-driven platform streamlining automated image analysis and fostering collaboration without requiring coding expertise. Additionally, we showcase SpinX's capabilities in tracking spindles and modelling cells in 3D, emphasising ongoing enhancements for multi-spindle detection.

16:00 Jinwang Lu - Cell segmentation in low signal-to-noise ratio microscopy images based on machine learning (15 minutes + 5 minutes discussion)
Abstract: Fluorescence microscopy image plays an important role in the research of life sciences. A large number of image data can be processed effectively using computer and machine learning, so that we could obtain the conclusion with statistical significance. In this study, a cell segmentation model was proposed based on U-Net for low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) fluorescence images, and a cell image dataset for training and validation was constructed. In this method, convolution kernels were adopted to extract features, residual modules to deepen network, and weighted loss function to make machine learning process pay more attention to cell edges. Compared to several other methods, this algorithm shows better performance in cell segmentation for low signal-to-noise ratio fluorescence images with 87.6% pixel accuracy and intersectionover-union (IOU) 72.0%. This study provides technical support for cell morphology research and image-based high-throughput cell screening.

16:20 Dr Denise Ragusa - Contribution of histone variants to chromosome instability: focus on H2A.Z variants (15 minutes + 5 minutes discussion)
Abstract: Histone variants, which generally differ in few amino acid residues, can replace core histones to confer specific structural and functional features to regulate cellular functions. Histone variants have gained significant attention as gatekeepers of chromosome stability, raising interest in understanding how their alterations can contribute to tumourigenesis. We conducted a comprehensive literature search on mutations, aberrant expression patterns and post-translational modifications of histone variants in several cancers. Using publicly available data, we constructed a database (HistoPloidyDB) linking alterations in histone variant genes and aneuploidy in human cancers. Experimentally, we focus on histone variant H2A.Z, which has previously been studied as a single entity, however recent evidence from our laboratory and others proved that its two paralogues H2A.Z.1 and H2A.Z.2 have non-redundant functions in chromosome segregation and cell division. H2A.Z.1 is mainly involved in transcriptional regulation, whereas H2A.Z.2 is required for correct chromosome segregation. As H2AZ.2 is modulated by post-translational modifications, we constructed single amino acid mutants of H2AZ.2 to identify acetylation sites and differential interactors responsible for chromosome segregation fidelity. Taken together, this data paves the way in understanding the biological basis of histone variants in maintaining chromosomal stability and their clinical relevance.

16:45 Dr. Binghao Chai - Hands-on AI guided image analysis workshop. Showcase of SpinX and nuclear tracker on ZEISS arivis Cloud (formerly APEER) (60 minutes)

17:45-17:55 Closing remarks of workshop (Jingyan and Viji, Thank-you note).

Cell Dynamics And Chromosomal Stability Workshop

September the 4th, 2023 at China Agricultural University, China

September the 4^th, 2023 at China Agricultural University, China