Cells come in all shapes and sizes and can dynamically change their shapes in response to environmental cues. How is cell shape determined and regulated? Intricate intracellular networks of protein polymers, that constitute the cytoskeleton, provide a rigid structure that determines cell shape. These cytoskeletal networks are dynamic and can generate forces that push or pull against cell membranes, producing protrusions or invaginations. The cytoskeleton can also produce forces that fold tissues to shape whole multicellular organisms. In cell-walled organisms (plants, fungi, and bacteria), rigid cell walls demarcate cell shape, and the cytoskeleton directs the deposition of new cell-wall material, shaping the cell wall as cells grow. Because the cytoskeleton plays a central role in cellular structural integrity, it is commonly targeted by pathogens, including Chlamydia trachomatis, Vibrio cholera, Listeria monocytogenes, and Rickettsia rickettsia. Each of these pathogens has evolved mechanisms to hijack and weaponize the host cytoskeleton to facilitate host cell invasion. In this discussion-based course we will read and discuss the primary research literature to answer questions such as: How is a single cytoskeletal polymer assembled? How are polymers arranged into networks? How do pathogens co-opt elements of the cytoskeleton during infection? During the course students will gain valuable skills in scientific communication and in how to plan, interpret and critique experimental protocols and data, all while discovering the design principles and amazing capabilities of the cytoskeleton. |