Centrosomes are essential regulators of the life cycle of cells; when they do not function properly, devastating diseases like cancer occur. Centrosomes play an important role in the formation of cilia, cellular appendages necessary for cells to move and also during development, when they act as antennas receiving signals from the environment. Using robots in combination with a technique called RNA-interference, we can remove, one by one, each of the 20, 000 proteins encoded by the human genome. Our laboratory uses cutting-edge automated microscopy of cells to investigate how cilia are assembled and to identify novel proteins needed for their assembly. Ultimately, our goal is to investigate the role of these proteins in cancer progression and other disorders.