Kenji Sugioka: Assistant Professor at Department of Zoology, UBC Faculty of Science

Assistant Professor

Faculty of Science

Research Classification

Basic medicine and life sciences

Research Interests

Cell division

Animal morphogenesis

Cytoskeletal dynamics

Relevant Thesis-Based Degree Programs

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Affiliations to Research Centres, Institutes & Clusters

Life Sciences Institute

Research Options

I am available and interested in collaborations (e.g. clusters, grants).

I am interested in and conduct interdisciplinary research.

I am interested in working with undergraduate students on research projects.

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Research Methodology

Caenorhabditis elegans

Live-imaging

genetics

Recruitment

Looking to recruit: Postdoctoral Fellows

Desired start dates: Any time / year round

Other options:

I am open to hosting Visiting International Research Students (non-degree, up to 12 months).

I am interested in supervising students to conduct interdisciplinary research.

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ADVICE AND INSIGHTS FROM UBC FACULTY ON REACHING OUT TO SUPERVISORS

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Supervision Enquiry

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Graduate Student Supervision

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Theses completed in 2010 or later are listed below. Please note that there is a 6-12 month delay to add the latest theses.

Identification of novel genes required for spatial and robust control of cytokinesis (2024)

Cytokinesis is the final stage of cell division in which the dividing cell is physically separated in two through the function of the contractile ring. The contractile ring is a highly resilient molecular machine which can properly function even in the absence of some of structural components and regulators. Additionally, the function, position, and orientation of the contractile ring are spatially modified in developing animals to regulate morphogenesis. Although essential regulators of cytokinesis have been identified through previous forward genetic screenings, the molecular mechanisms underlying these spatial and robust controls of cytokinesis remain elusive. To identify novel cytokinesis regulators involved in these processes, we performed a high-throughput RNAi suppressor screening using a gain-of-function mutant of actin. We obtained a total of 483 early embryonic genes that suppress lethality in an act-2 mutant background. Two parallel secondary screenings were then performed using the identified candidate genes. The first screening aimed to identify regulators of spatial cytokinesis control such as asymmetric ring closure, asymmetric ring positioning, and contractile ring rotation during three early stages of embryogenesis. A total of 108 genes were found to regulate at least one of these three forms of spatially controlled cytokinesis. Secondly, we performed a screening in an act-2(or295) background to identify regulators of cytokinesis robustness. We identified twelve genes that resulted in moderate to severe cytokinetic defects, including two novel regulators, evl-20 and lpin-1. Our study will serve as a useful database for the development of future hypotheses and provide insights into the precise regulation of cytokinetic mechanisms in tissues. [An errata to this thesis was made available on 2024-06-24.]

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