Speaker: Bruce Goode, PhD. Chair and Professor of Biology, Brandeis University
Biography: Bruce Goode serves as Chair and Professor of the Biology Department at Brandeis University. After growing up in California’s Bay Area, he earned his B.S. and Ph.D. in Cell Biology from UC Santa Barbara, studying the human microtubule-associated protein Tau with Stuart Feinstein, followed by postdoctoral research on yeast cytoskeletal systems in David Drubin’s laboratory at UC Berkeley. Since establishing his lab at Brandeis in 2000, where he received tenure in 2005 and full professorship in 2010, Dr. Goode has led multidisciplinary research spanning yeast and mammalian systems, investigating the molecular mechanisms that regulate actin filament assembly and turnover, as well as the intricate coordination between actin and microtubule cytoskeletons during endocytosis, intracellular transport, cell motility, and morphogenesis. His research employs biochemistry, in vitro single molecule imaging, genetics, and live cell imaging approaches to elucidate these fundamental cellular processes. His scientific contributions have earned him scholar awards from the Pew Charitable Trust, March of Dimes, and American Cancer Society, alongside an NIH Research Career Development Award. His leadership in the field has included chairing Gordon Research Conferences, serving as Editor-in-Chief of Cytoskeleton (2009-2016), and currently serving as monitoring editor at The Journal of Cell Biology, and member of the F1000 advisory board.
Seminar title: From Yeast to Humans and Back: Uncovering Novel Mechanisms of Actin Filament Nucleation
About the seminar: Our understanding of cytoskeletal dynamics has been revolutionized by discoveries in actin filament nucleation pathways. This seminar will trace our journey from the initial identification of formins as critical actin nucleation factors in yeast, to their regulation by factors such as yeast Bud6, which enhances formin-mediated nucleation. I will discuss how this foundational work in yeast revealed unexpected mechanistic parallels in the human tumor suppressor protein adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and its role in cell migration, creating a bridge between fungal and mammalian cytoskeletal regulation. The presentation will culminate with our more recent discovery of a novel ‘composite’ actin nucleation mechanism involving cooperative interactions between two proteins. Together, this work highlights the diversity of mechanisms used in cells to nucleate actin network assembly, and how studying the evolutionary conservation of cytoskeletal regulation offers insights across model systems.
Please join us for this in person event in Stodder Hall, room 57.