Journey to the centre of the cell

Over the last 20 years, studies of the biochemical oscillator that drives cell reproduction have revolutionized our understanding of the cell cycle. A recent Jaques Monod Conference, at the Station Biologique in Roscoff (30 April - 3 May 2000), concentrated on dissecting the elaborate structural rearrangements that the oscillator induces in order to push cells from interphase to mitosis and then to divide them in two.