Preventing premature interactions between microtubules and protein-based structures called kinetochores ensures that chromosomes are segregated by meiosis rather than mitosis in reproductive cells.

A combination of single-molecule imaging and an in vitro model of the cell cortex has allowed the interactions between actin filaments and filaments made of myosin II to be studied in detail.

An interaction between two proteins enables the spindle—the structure that segregates chromosome pairs during mitosis—to change size as cells divide.

A cellular motor protein helps to ensure that microtubules are oriented correctly within neuronal dendrites

Single absorbed photons trigger adaptational mechanisms that help the retina maintain sensitivity across a wide range of background illumination.

Skin cells from a patient with retinitis pigmentosa have been used to generate induced pluripotent stem cells, which could potentially form the basis of new treatments for this disease.

Optogenetics has revealed that synaptic vesicles can be recycled extremely rapidly in nematodes, indicating that existing models for how synapses 'reload' may need to be revised.

The motor domains of dynein are sufficient to crosslink microtubules and slide them antiparallel to each other.

A chemical screen reveals that a compound used to treat a parasitic disease can trigger pluripotent stem cells to become neurons, uncovering a novel mechanism behind neuronal development.

Structural analyses of the centriole proteins CPAP and STIL identify domains that are critical for centriole formation and provide a structural explanation for a mutation that causes human microcephaly.