Robust partitioning of cell contents by physical instabilities and biological clocks

In early embryos, the first cell divisions must be extremely rapid and precisely controlled to ensure successful development. This balance is found to arise from a tight coupling between the clock that drives the cell-division cycle and a physical instability in the cell skeleton. This coupling robustly partitions cell contents and drives development. The cell-division clock and changes to the cell’s cytoskeleton cooperate during initial cell divisions.