I studied molecular biology at the University of Zagreb in Croatia and then moved to Dresden, Germany to do my PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in the group of Stephan Grill. I was investigating the dynamics of transcription and pausing of different eukaryotic RNA polymerases using single-molecule optical tweezers approach.
Here, in the Charras Lab, I am interested in the mechanics of cell division in tissues. The correct orientation of cell division is essential for cell fate decisions during development and misorientation can cause diseases such as cancer. Several mechanisms of division orientation have been characterised recently, however it remains unclear how these molecular mechanisms respond to mechanical stresses that tissues are exposed to. I am interested in studying how mechanical forces applied on the tissue level affect the orientation of cell divisions. To tackle this, I use suspended epithelial monolayers, an experimental system previously developed in the lab. Using this system I hope to gain insights into the dynamics of cell division in tissues under stress and an understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in force transmission and spindle orientation.
Publications:
Lisica, A. & Grill, S.W. (2017). Optical tweezers studies of transcription by eukaryotic RNA polymerases. Biomol Concepts. 1;8(1):1-11.
Roldán, É., Lisica, A., Sánchez-Taltavull, D., & Grill, S. W. (2016). Stochastic resetting in backtrack recovery by RNA polymerases. Phys Rev E. 93(6-1):062411.
Lisica, A., Engel, C., Jahnel, M., Roldán, É., Galburt, E. A., Cramer, P., & Grill, S. W. (2016). Mechanisms of backtrack recovery by RNA polymerases I and II. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(11), 2946- 2951.
Malnar, M., Kosicek, M., Lisica, A., Posavec, M., Krolo, A., Njavro, J., Omerbasic, D., Tahirovic, S. & Hecimovic, S. (2012). Cholesterol-depletion corrects APP and BACE1 misstrafficking in NPC1-deficient cells. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Molecular Basis of Disease, 1822(8), 1270-1283.
Links:
Research Gate profile
Charras Lab 