2008           Diploma degree in Bioinformatics (Friedrich Schiller University Jena)
since 2008   Member of the Bio Systems Analysis Group at Friedrich Schiller University Jena
since 2009   PhD student in the group of Dr. Gislene Pereira at German Cancer Research Center


Modeling and Simulation of Mitotic Transition Control Mechanisms

Asymmetric cell division is a central feature of developmental processes in multi-cellular organisms. Understanding its regulation is key in the development of treatments against cancer. However, regulation of the governing mechanisms in animal cells is still puzzling. As cells of the budding yeast S. cerevisiae always divide asymmetrically, it is a suitable model organism to get hints at the respective mechanisms in higher eukaryotes. In S. cerevisiae, several interdependent regulatory networks lead the cell through mitosis and cytokinesis to ensure proper completion of the cell cycle, the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), spindle positioning checkpoint (SPOC), Cdc14 early anaphase release (FEAR) pathway, and mitotic exit network (MEN). Complexity of and crosstalk between these networks make their understanding challenging. Mathematical modeling and simulation can help to overcome this difficulties and contribute to our understanding of the complex interplay of the many components.

We aim at development and analysis of an integrative quantitative model of the above mitotic transition control mechanisms. As asymmetric cell division is an inherent spatial process, we will also try to determine the effects of localization, diffusion, microtubule based transport, and cell geometry by embedding the network model into an appropriate spatial environment.

Additionally we try to improve the amount of information gained from individual experiments, we will additionally try to improve existing, or develop tailor-made models for fitting of particularly fluorescence spectroscopy data

Other Research Interests

   • Spatial modeling and simulation of biological systems
   • Modeling of biophysical processes
   • Design and analysis of algorithms

Publications

Gerd Grünert, Bashar Ibrahim, Thorsten Lenser, Maiko Lohel, Thomas Hinze, Peter Dittrich (2010)
Rule-based spatial modeling with diffusing, geometrically constrained molecules
BMC Bioinformatics, 11:307.

Maiko Lohel, Bashar Ibrahim, Stephan Diekmann, Peter Dittrich (2009)
The role of localization in the operation of the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint
Cell Cycle, 8(16), 2650-60.