The Bowerman lab uses genetics, molecular biology, and microscopy to study cytoskeletal regulation and function in the early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. Many of the early divisions in the C. elegans embryo are asymmetric and are largely responsible for establishing the pattern of cell fates required for normal embryonic development. These asymmetric divisions, with their stereotyped timing and mitotic spindle positioning, provide a rich context in which to use the powerful genetics of C. elegans to investigate cytoskeletal function.