2018 PLOS Genetics Research Prize: Bundling, stabilizing, organizing—The orchestration of acentriolar spindle assembly by microtubule motor proteins (original) (raw)

One of the most rewarding aspects of serving as an editor is the opportunity to see, appreciate, and celebrate great science from our authors. With this motivation in mind, the annual PLOS Genetics Research Prize was established several years ago to recognize a paper published in the previous 12 months that was scientifically excellent and had broad impact across the genetics community. Nominations are open to the public, and the winner is selected by the PLOS Genetics Editors-in-Chief and Section Editors. This year, there were a number of very strong nominations. Besides the prize recipient described further below, there are two additional papers that are especially notable. An article by Amelie Baud and colleagues demonstrates that over 100 diverse phenotypes in mice are affected by social interactions [1]. This work was fascinating because it examines a relatively under-studied phenomenon that has far-reaching implications for genetic analyses. It also received broad attention with coverage in over 39 media reports and blogs. Another article by Carlos Eduardo Amorim and colleagues examined the long-standing quandary of why lethal alleles persist in human populations, and comes to the surprising conclusion that ascertainment bias is a significant contributing factor [2]. This work was also broadly impactful and widely discussed on social media. This year's prize recipient is an article by Timothy Mullen and Sarah Wignall [3], striking in many ways, not the least of which was that it was nominated independently by four different members of the genetics community. In what follows, these nominators tell us more about the significance and impact of the work. During chromosome segregation, the spindle is assembled from microtubules to accurately partition chromosomes. In most systems, spindle assembly initiates from centriole-containing centrosomes, generating a highly organized, polarized array of microtubules capable of pulling chromosomes to opposite poles [4]. However, female reproductive cells (oocytes) in many species, including humans, segregate chromosomes on acentriolar spindles assembled through unique mechanisms. Acentriolar spindles are frequently associated with aberrant chromosome

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