Cell cycle regulation by systems-level feedback control

In the first part of my presentation, I will briefly summarize a dynamic view of the cell cycle created in collaboration with Prof John Tyson over the past 25 years. In our view, the decisions a cell must make during DNA synthesis and mitosis are controlled by bistable switches, which provide abrupt and irreversible transition between successive cell cycle phases. In addition, bistability provides the foundation for 'checkpoints' that can stop cell proliferation if problems arise (e.g., DNA damage by UV irradiation). In the second part of my talk, I will highlight a few representative examples from our ongoing BBSRC Strategic LoLa grant (Link http://cellcycle.org.uk/) in which we are testing the predictions of our theoretical ideas in human cells in collaboration with four experimental groups.