M. Betterton

Distinct regions of the kinesin-5 C-terminal tail are essential for mitotic spindle midzone localization and sliding force

This study identifies functionally important regions in the C-terminal tail of kinesin-5/Cut7 by analyzing truncation mutants in fission yeast, showing their roles in sliding force and midzone localization.

Motor guidance by long-range communication through the microtubule highway

The paper shows that microtubules can mediate long-range coupling between motors, affecting their movement and mechanochemistry without direct interaction.

Length regulation of microtubule antiparallel overlaps by molecular motors

The paper develops a theory to explain how molecular motors regulate the length of microtubule antiparallel overlaps during cell division.

Design principles of selective transport through biopolymer barriers

The paper develops a model to study selective transport through biopolymer barriers, showing that bound-state motion from transient binding to flexible filaments enables selectivity.

Theory of cytoskeletal reorganization during crosslinker-mediated mitotic spindle assembly

The paper develops a torque-balance model and simulations to study spindle assembly using passive crosslinkers in fission yeast, showing crosslinker reorganization drives spindle formation.