Where and when microtubules are nucleated in the cell

Microtubules are an essential biophysical element of eukaryotic cells. Their localization and nucleation kinetics are heavily controlled to build intricate structures inside the cell. The vast majority of microtubules in many circumstances are nucleated as branches off of existing microtubule filaments. I will discuss recent work on the nucleation of microtubules in space and time. Using a combination of single molecule imaging and force microscopy, my colleagues and I have unraveled details of the transition state for branch nucleation and a role for dewetting via the Raylegh-Plateau instability in governing where microtubules branches are formed.