Nuclear pore complexes are central gatekeepers of the cell nucleus, and facilitate selective transport of cargo between the cytoplasm and nucleus. As such, they regulate crucial cellular processes such as cell division, RNA metabolism and gene expression. We apply x-ray crystallography to visualize the protein components of this large macromolecular machinery at atomic resolution. Our interdisciplinary approach integrates methods of chemistry, physics, medicine and biology and will give insights into cancer formation, cell division and cell differentiation.
