The Yumi Kim Lab

Sexually reproducing organisms rely on the correct execution of meiosis, a specialized cell division that produces haploid gametes such as sperm and eggs. Errors in this process lead to the production of cells with an abnormal number of chromosomes or aneuploidy, and this is a major cause of miscarriages and birth defects such as Down syndrome.

Our lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms that ensure accurate chromosome segregation during meiosis. By combining biochemical reconstitution and structural biology with cytological and genetic analysis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we address fundamental questions of how organisms faithfully transmit their genomes from parent to offspring. 

We are part of the Department of Biology at Johns Hopkins University.