معرفی
Masayuki Onishi is an Assistant Professor of Biology and Cell Biology at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on understanding fundamental mechanisms of eukaryotic cell division using the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model system. He investigates cytokinesis processes, organelle division coordination, and evolutionary conservation of cell division machinery.
Education: Ph.D. from University of Tokyo (Japan). He leads the Onishi Lab, which has received NSF CAREER funding for studying actomyosin-independent cytokinesis. His work bridges molecular cell biology with evolutionary biology, utilizing advanced imaging techniques and genetic screens.
Research interests include septin proteins' evolutionary roles, alternative proteoforms in humans and plants, and the interplay between cytoskeletal elements during cell division. Key contributions include discoveries about F-actin-independent cytokinesis and chloroplast division coordination mechanisms.
- Grants: NSF CAREER Award (2024-2029), NIH Training Grants (2020-2026)
- Students advised: Samed Delic, Yaning Yuan, Samuel Chen
- Lab collaborations: Princeton University, GMI Vienna, Carnegie Plant Biology
Recent studies explore PKHD1/Fibrocystin's role in cell division and identify novel compounds affecting organelle division. His lab integrates cell biology, genetics, and evolutionary approaches to unravel ancient cellular processes.
