People

Clare Willis

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In times of starvation, some bacteria, including Bacillus subtilis, can form spores. These bacteria can exist as dormant spores allowing them to survive starvation and harsh environments, until nutrients become available once more and they can enter into the regular bacterial cell cycle again. In order to make a spore, Bacillus subtilis must deviate from the usual processes of organising and separating its chromosomes. The process of forming a spore offers a unique system for studying chromosome segregation. I study this process of initiating sporulation using fluorescent and microfluidic microscopy techniques alongside cell biology and genetics. Studying this will advance our knowledge of chromosome dynamics and how the interplay of proteins with DNA is crucial for the timings and control of sporulation initiation.  

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