Oocytes are life's time capsules. They can hibernate for days to decades before they experience a dramatic awakening, called activation. Once fertilized, these oocytes reprogram themselves to become a rapidly dividing embryo. How does an oocyte organize its cytoplasm to survive hibernation and protect itself against aging? How is the oocyte reorganized to promote rapid, mitotic divisions? What are the safeguards to prevent and correct errors in this crucial reprogramming?
Our mission is to understand the design principles of cytoplasmic reorganization during the oocyte-to-embryo transition.

Female mammals must store their oocytes over years to decades before they are ovulated. A decrease in oocyte quality over time is a major factor in age-related infertility. We study how the oocyte cytoplasm is reorganized to shut down cellular metabolism and protect its precious contents to survive long-term hibernation.
Oocytes and embryos compartmentalize their cytoplasm by building supramolecular assemblies of proteins and nucleic acids, termed "biomolecular condensates". We want to understand how these condensates control protein translation, metabolism, and cytoskeletal organization during the oocyte-to-embryo transition.
After fertilization, the oocyte switches to mitotic cell divisions orchestrated by centrosomes, which are membrane-less organelles that nucleate and organize microtubules. Dysregulation of centrosome formation is lethal during embryogensis and can trigger tumor formation and metastasis in somatic cells. We want to understand how centrosomes assemble and nucleate microtubules through bottom-up reconstitution.
Jeff Woodruff, PhD
Assistant Professor

Weronika Stachera
Grad Student

Nicole Familiari
Lab Manager

Jessica Alatorre
Research Assistant

Manolo Rios
Grad student

Matthew Amato
Grad Student

Priyankaa Bhatia
Grad student

Kan Yaguchi, PhD
Post-doc

Featured Publications
Regulated changes in material properties underlie centrosome disassembly during mitotic exit.
Mittasch M, Tran VM, Rios MU, Fritsch AW, Enos SJ, Ferreira Gomes B, Bond A, Kreysing M, Woodruff JB, 2020 Apr J. Cell Biol. 4 219The Centrosome Is a Selective Condensate that Nucleates Microtubules by Concentrating Tubulin.
Woodruff JB, Ferreira Gomes B, Widlund PO, Mahamid J, Honigmann A, Hyman AA 2017 Jun Cell 6 169 1066-1077.e10Centrosomes. Regulated assembly of a supramolecular centrosome scaffold in vitro.
Woodruff JB, Wueseke O, Viscardi V, Mahamid J, Ochoa SD, Bunkenborg J, Widlund PO, Pozniakovsky A, Zanin E, Bahmanyar S, Zinke A, Hong SH, Decker M, Baumeister W, Andersen JS, Oegema K, Hyman AA 2015 May Science 6236 348 808-12All Publications
Soluble tubulin is significantly enriched at mitotic centrosomes.
Baumgart J, Kirchner M, Redemann S, Bond A, Woodruff J, Verbavatz JM, Jülicher F, Müller-Reichert T, Hyman AA, Brugués J, 2019 Dec J. Cell Biol. 12 218 3977-3985Method: In vitro analysis of pericentriolar material assembly.
Woodruff JB, Hyman AA 2015 Methods Cell Biol. 129 369-82Spindle assembly requires complete disassembly of spindle remnants from the previous cell cycle.
Woodruff JB, Drubin DG, Barnes G 2012 Jan Mol. Biol. Cell 2 23 258-67Dynamic nuclear actin assembly by Arp2/3 complex and a baculovirus WASP-like protein.
Goley ED, Ohkawa T, Mancuso J, Woodruff JB, D'Alessio JA, Cande WZ, Volkman LE, Welch MD 2006 Oct Science 5798 314 464-7