molecular biology

Siobhan Brady

Siobhan Brady

  • Professor
  • HHMI Faculty Scholar
  • Department of Plant Biology
  • College of Biological Sciences
How do cells within plant roots respond to the multitude of stresses they face in the world?  From cell type molecular signatures to networks – Siobhan Brady tries to understand and harness these adaptive responses to help tackle current and future environmental challenges. Research in the Brady lab focuses on understanding how a network of transcriptional interactions regulates tissue development and function. Projects in the lab range from characterizing xylem and cortex cell development  in response to the environment in Arabidopsis thaliana, Sorghum bicolor, Solanum lycopersicum and the drought-adapted Solanum pennelii to determining regulatory networks underlying various components of central and specialized metabolism.
Julie Bossuyt

Julie Bossuyt

  • Associate Professor
  • Department of Pharmacology
  • School of Medicine
Julie Bossuyt studies the molecular mechanisms that drive activation and function of the related kinases, protein kinase D and calmodulin dependent protein kinase in healthy and failing hearts. Her lab focuses on understanding the local regulatory mechanisms that control the myriad cellular outcomes for these multifunctional kinases. Tools in the lab include cutting-edge high resolution fluorescence imaging techniques (such as FRET, TIRF, FRAP and confocal) and novel biosensors to obtain unique insight into the spatiotemporal dynamics of signaling in cardiac cells.
Dan Starr

Daniel Starr

  • Professor
  • Allen Distinguished Investigator
  • Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • College of Biological Sciences
Daniel Starr and his lab study processes involved in the positioning of nuclei and other organelles to specific locations within a cell. They use the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, with genetic, biochemical, cellular, and molecular approaches to study this basic problem in cell biology and human disease.
Mitch Singer

Mitch Singer

  • Professor
  • Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
  • College of Biological Sciences
Mitch Singer focuses on understanding how Myxococcus xanthus senses nutrient limitation and how this event initiates the developmental program. We have previously proposed a model whereby M. xanthus cells use their protein synthetic capacity to measure their nutritional status.  A signaling molecule known to couple amino acid availability with a variety of cellular processes in E. coli acts as a second messenger in this process by activating a variety of starvation responses.
David Segal

David Segal

  • Professor
  • Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine
  • School of Medicine
David Segal studies the genetics and epigenetics of neurological disorders and cancer. A guiding principle for the lab has been to study how nature does what it does, then attempt to use that knowledge to make useful tools to improve public health, either through increased knowledge or therapeutic intervention. Specific research foci in the Segal Lab revolve around engineering zinc finger, Transcription Activator-like Effectors, and CRISPR/Cas nucleases and transcription factors.
Benjamin Montpetit

Benjamin Montpetit

  • Professor
  • Department of Viticulture and Enology
  • College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
Benjamin Montpetit studies nuclear RNA export with the goal of describing how components of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) direct and regulate mRNA and viral RNA transport at a cellular, molecular and atomic level. Ultimately, this will allow us to better understand the interplay between nuclear RNA export, gene expression, and human biology.
Richard McKenney

Richard McKenney

  • Assistant Professor
  • Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • College of Biological Sciences
Richard McKenney is interested in the fascinating world of molecular movement. His lab studies how cells internally organize using molecular motor proteins. In particular, they focus on the microtubule cytoskeleton and the motor proteins that use this filament system for transport (kinesins and dyneins). They are interested in allosteric regulation of motor protein movement, how motor activity is balanced and coordinated, and how dysfunction in motor activity leads to human diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. The lab combines advanced molecular biology, biochemistry and single-molecule TIRF microscopy to address these problems
Angie Louie

Angelique Louie

  • Professor
  • Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • College of Engineering
Angelique Louie focuses on the application of engineering and physical sciences imaging principles to improve the diagnosis and management of human disease. The unifying theme of her research is the application of imaging techniques and the design of contrast agents to characterize molecular phenomena in diseased versus normal states.
Janine LaSalle

Janine LaSalle

  • Professor
  • Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology
  • School of Medicine
Janine LaSalle is interested in the role epigenetics in human autism-spectrum disorders. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in chromosomes that are not encoded in the DNA sequence, including DNA methylation and chromatin organization. The clinical applications of the research includes understanding the pathogenesis of the neurodevelopmental disorders autism, Rett syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Dup15q, and Angelman syndrome. Her lab uses mouse models and samples from individuals with autism spectrum disorders to investigate the epigenetic mark of DNA methylation genome-wide using high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic approaches. 
Celina Juliano

Celina Juliano

  • Associate Professor
  • Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • College of Biological Sciences
Celina Juliano studies the molecular mechanisms that allow the freshwater cnidarian Hydra vulgaris to have “immortal” stem cells. Her research can provide insight into regenerative biology and aging in vertebrates and other organisms.
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