Biochemistry major Raymundo Alfaro-Aco ’12 has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowship.  Raymundo is currently in the Molecular Biology Graduate Program at Princeton University and his research in the Petry Lab aims to elucidate how microtubules are generated from microtubule organizing centers. This is the key step to generate the microtubule cytoskeleton, which is critical for the organization and function of eukaryotic cells. Despite its importance, the process of microtubule nucleation is poorly understood. By combining biochemistry, single-molecule microscopy and structural studies, Raymundo will study how universal nucleator γ-tubulin ring complex nucleates microtubules. This will help explain how the microtubule cytoskeleton generates the structures that enable essential cellular functions, such as intracellular transport, motility, and cell division.  Congratulations!