I made this drawing for the cover of the EMBO Journal to accompany our new paper on mammalian brain development.

The paper shows that a microRNA family is required for the correct orientation of mitotic spindles within the developing brain. The compass represents how the angle of the spindle in dividing cells affects their ultimate position within the brain – similar to a compass guiding the way to a location on a map.

Molecular Compass for Cell Division
The angle of the mitotic spindle during cell division affects the decision-making of differentiation and thus ultimate position within the brain. EMBO Journal cover, November 2016.