The results of a study by researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies have shown how a protein called PRC1 acts as a “viscous glue” during mitotic cell division, to help precisely control the speed at which the two sets of DNA are separated as division proceeds. The finding could explain why too much or too little PRC1 disrupts the process and causes genome errors linked to cancer. An overabundance of PRC1 is a telltale sign in many cancer types, including prostate, ovarian, and breast cancer.