About the Lab
The Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics uses molecular genetics, biochemical techniques, microscopy and physical chemical approaches, to study a diverse range of topics related to disease and health. These include: prions (infectious proteins) in yeast; the roles of chaperones and other components in yeast prions; centrosome replication and function; gamete development, meiosis, and fertilization; molecular crowding; biosynthesis of polyamines and their roles in translation and other functions; and translation, particularly termination and the ribosome recycling process.
Current Research
Our goal is to discover new knowledge useful in understanding basic biology and disease processes.
Orna Cohen-Fix: The nuclear envelope is critical for the function and morphology of the nucleus, which is altered during aging and disease. We focus on two aspects of nuclear envelope biology: (a) studies on the regulation of nuclear size and shape, conducted mainly in budding yeast, and (b) studies on the mechanism of pronuclear fusion after fertilization, conducted mainly in C. elegans.
Andy Golden: We are modeling human monogenic diseases by creating the analogous mutations in the C. elegans genes. We will characterize the biological consequences and use suppressor/enhancer genetics to find interacting genes.
Nicholas Guydosh: We study the molecular mechanism of the ribosome and how changes in translation alter gene expression during viral infection or in diseases such as cancer.
Daniel Masison: We exploit the strict dependency of yeast prions on protein chaperones to study not only how chaperones act to influence propagation of amyloid in vivo, but also how they cooperate to perform their many crucial roles in cellular protein quality control.
Allen Minton: We study how nonspecific interactions between bioichemical reactants and elements of the surrounding medium affect the kinetics and equilibria of specific biochemical reactions within complex media resembling biological fluids and interfaces.
Kevin O'Connell: Centrioles play critical roles in mitosis, cell motility, and cell signaling and centriole dysfunction has been linked to a growing number of diseases. Our research addresses how cells control centriole number with particular emphasis on the mechanism underlying centriole biogenesis and the how the structural integrity of centrioles is maintained over many cell generations.
Reed Wickner: Because yeast prions are detrimental to the host, we are studying host systems that eliminate yeast prions or limit their pathogenicity.