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BIOCHEMISTRY,
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
Biology is a broad field of study, and its breadth
is reflected in the research interests of the
faculty members who seek to define biological
processes in molecular terms. Individual research
topics include the role in vivo of an enzyme
with a catalytic RNA subunit (Altman);
the roles of structured non-coding RNAs in gene control and catalysis (Breaker);
exploration and control of signal transduction
pathways using chemical probes (Crews);
the evolution of metabolic pathways (Ornston),
and signal transduction in plants.
Molecular technology from DNA cloning to targeted
mutagenesis is being applied and developed in
order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying
many biological processes. Insight into these
processes can be greater when it is gained in
the spectrum of diverse experimental approaches
that our division employs. Our studies will eventually
bring together molecular biology, evolutionary
biology, cell and developmental biology, and genetics.
Our studies can directly benefit human health
and agricultural efficiency.
Faculty having a Primary Affiliation with this
Section
Sidney Altman : post-transcriptional RNA processing
as a means of gene regulation
Ronald
Breaker : non–coding RNA discovery; ribozyme and riboswitch analysis
Craig Crews
: biochemical and molecular analyses of
natural products
Mark
Hochstrasser : the life and death of proteins:
regulation by ubiquitin and the proteasome.
Nicholas
Ornston :evolutionary relationships among
a set of genes which have coevolved within a single
cell line.
Alanna
Schepartz : Development and application of chemical tools to study and manipulate protein–protein and protein–DNA interactions inside cells and whole organisms.
Additional
Faculty with Interests in Molecular Biology
Stephen
Dellaporta : molecular biology and genetic
utility of transposons in plants.
Thierry Emonet: Signal transduction and decision making in bacteria, insects and the immune system.
Christine
Jacobs-Wagner : Bacterial cell biology and cell cycle regulation.
Thomas
Pollard : the molecular basis of cellular
motility and cytokinesis.
Joel
Rosenbaum : Studies on the assembly and function of cilia and flagella.
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CELLULAR & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
The
research interests of the faculty in the area
of cell and developmental biology range from studies
on nucleotide sequences in RNA and DNA through
investigations of subcellular organelles, such
as microtubules and chromosomes, through analyses of
movement in single cells, to multicellular organization and embryogeny in higher
plants and animals.
Despite
the diversity of research topics and an equal
diversity of experimental approaches, certain
general aims are evident. These include the understanding
of how macromolecules are organized into the subcellular
components of living cells, how the cells themselves
become different during development, and how the
cellular and developmental processes are controlled.
Faculty
having a Primary Affiliation with this Section
Iain
Dawson : regulation of cell cycle in Drosophila
melanogaster
Xing-Wang
Deng : molecular mechanisms involved in light–triggered
regulation of growth and development in higher
plants.
Thierry Emonet : Signal transduction and decision making in bacteria, insects and the immune system.
Martín
García-Castro : the origin of neural
crest cells.
Scott
Holley : gene networks, pattern formation and morphogenesis in zebrafish.
Valerie Horsley : Mechanisms that control stem cell use during tissue formation, homeostasis and regeneration.
Vivian
Irish : mechanisms that govern pattern formation
during plant development.
Christine
Jacobs-Wagner : Mechanisms underlying cell cycle and developmental regulation in bacteria.
Mark
Mooseker : molecular underpinnings of cytoskeletal
structure, motility and assembly.
Jon
Morrow : understanding the structure and function
of the spectrin-ankyrin-actin cytoskeleton.
Kenneth
Nelson : genome structure and function.
Timothy
Nelson : development of leaves.
Thomas
Pollard : the molecular basis of cellular
motility and cytokinesis.
Joel
Rosenbaum : assembly of cell organelles using
the flagella of Chlamydomonas as a model.
Joseph
Wolenski : molecular analysis of myosin mechanochemistry.
Additional
Faculty with Interests in Cellular and Developmental
Biology
John Carlson : Molecular basis of olfaction and taste in Drosophila.
Craig
Crews : molecular mechanisms of amphibian limb regeneration.
Paul
Forscher : molecular dynamics of guided axon
growth.
Mark
Hochstrasser : the life and death of proteins:
regulation by ubiquitin and the proteasome.
Douglas
Kankel : genetic and molecular analysis of
visual system development in Drosophila.
Haig
Keshishian : analysis of neuromuscular development
in Drosophila.
Shirleen
Roeder : genetic and molecular analysis of
meiosis in yeast.
Frank
Slack : microRNAs in development, aging and disease.
Elke Stein
: the molecular mechanism that underlies neuronal
growth cone guidance.
David
Wells : examination of the process of experience
dependent modification (or plasticity) of synapses
at the cellular and molecular levels.
Robert
Wyman : analysis of genes which control the
specificity of neuronal connectivity in Drosophila.
Weimin
Zhong : regulation of neural stem cells and
development of the mammalian neocortex.
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GENETICS
Research
in this fundamental area of biology spans a spectrum
of biological organization from the molecular
level to the organismal level. The underlying
focus of interest is the genetic material: its
structure, function, and regulation. A large variety
of organisms is being studied using many experimental
techniques and approaches. The Department has
laboratories active in molecular and biochemical
genetics, developmental genetics, molecular and
classical cytogenetics, somatic cell genetics,
and behavioral genetics.
Faculty
having a Primary Affiliation with this Section
John Carlson : Molecular basis of olfaction and taste in Drosophila.
Stephen
Dellaporta : molecular biology and genetic
utility of transposons in plants.
Scott
Holley : gene networks, pattern formation and morphogenesis in zebrafish.
Douglas
Kankel : genetic and molecular analysis of
visual system development in Drosophila
Shirleen
Roeder : genetic and molecular analysis of
meiosis in yeast
Frank
Slack : microRNAs in development, aging and disease.
Additional
Faculty with Interests in Genetics
Sidney
Altman : post-transcriptional RNA processing
as a means of gene regulation.
Ronald
Breaker : enzymatic DNA and in vitro evolution.
Thierry Emonet: Signal transduction and decision making in bacteria, insects and the immune system.
Martín
García-Castro : the origin of neural
crest cells.
Christine
Jacobs-Wagner : Mechanisms underlying cell cycle and developmental coordination in bacteria.
Mark
Mooseker : molecular underpinnings of cytoskeletal
structure, motility and assembly.
Nicholas
Ornston : evolutionary relationships among
a set of genes which have coevolved within a single
cell line.
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NEUROBIOLOGY
The faculty of the MCDB neurobiology group examine a wide range of problems in neuroscience, ranging from the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern the development of the nervous system, to the cell biology of neurons and the functioning of neural systems. The role of asymmetric cell division by neural progenitor stem cells is examined in the Zhong lab to understand how neuronal diversity is regulated in the mammalian neocortex. The mechanisms of axon guidance and growth cone dynamics are studied from a basic cell biological perspective in both the Forscher and Stein labs, with the goal of understanding how external molecular signals are transduced to control neuronal growth cone motility and cytoskeletal structure during axon elongation and pathfinding. The Keshishian, Wells, and Wyman labs examine the establishment and plasticity of synapses, to better understand the molecular factors that govern target recognition, synaptic refinement, and the mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Finally, the Carlson lab studies the development and function of insect olfactory and gustatory neurons, to explore the molecular logic through which sensory signals are translated into behavioral outputs. In general, these lines of investigation are relevant not only to understanding the basic biology of the nervous system, but also to problems related to human health.
Faculty
having a Primary Affiliation with this Section
Thierry Emonet : Signal transduction and decision making in bacteria, insects and the immune system.
Paul
Forscher : molecular dynamics of guided axon
growth.
Martín
García-Castro : the origin of neural
crest cells.
Haig
Keshishian : analysis of neuromuscular development
in Drosophila.
Elke Stein
: the molecular mechanism that underlies neuronal
growth cone guidance.
Robert
Wyman : analysis of genes which control the
specificity of neuronal connectivity in Drosophila.
David
Wells : examination of the process of experience
dependent modification (or plasticity) of synapses
at the cellular and molecular levels.
Weimin
Zhong : Regulation of neural stem cells and
development of the mammalian neocortex.
Additional
Faculty with Interests in Neurobiology
John Carlson
: Molecular basis of olfaction and taste in Drosophila.
Douglas
Kankel : genetic and molecular analysis of
visual system development in Drosophila.
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SPECIAL PROGRAM IN PLANT SCIENCES
Historically,
the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Department has been especially strong in the areas
of plant developmental biology, physiology, and
systematics. In recent years, these strengths
have expanded into the areas of plant molecular
biology, genetics, and chemical biology. The Special Program in Plant
Sciences reflects ongoing research and training
interests of the faculty in the molecular genetics
of flowering, the developmental biology of leaves,
the physiology of hormone action, the evolution
of plants, and a variety of other areas. Colleagues
in the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental
Studies, at the Cary Arboretum, and at the Connecticut
Agricultural Experiment Station contribute as
well to the seminars, graduate classes, workshops,
and field trips offered through the Program.
Faculty
with Interests in Plant Sciences
Nicole K. Clay: plant innate immunity and chemical defenses
Xing-Wang
Deng : molecular mechanisms involved in light-triggered
regulation of growth and development in higher
plants.
Stephen
Dellaporta : molecular biology and
genetic utility of transposons in plants.
Vivian
Irish : mechanisms that govern pattern formation
during plant development.
Timothy
Nelson : development of leaves.
Joel
Rosenbaum : Studies on the assembly and function of cilia and flagella.
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SPECIAL PROGRAM IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Many
recent research breakthroughs in the life sciences
are in the areas of biotechnology and genomics.
Faculty in the MCDB department is particularly
strong in these areas and many are associated
with research programs in Biotechnology companies.
Research topics encompass the development of nanosensors
and controlled nucleic acid enzymes, the generation
of transgenic animals and plants, small molecule
approaches to the analysis of gene function and
therapeutics, functional genomics, and the large
scale analysis of genomes and bioinformatics.
In addition to advanced topics that are critical
for excellence in the life sciences, courses in
Biotechnology, Genomics, and Bioinformatics are
available to students who wish to explore these
emerging areas.
Faculty with Interests in Biotechnology
Sidney Altman : knockout of gene function and functional genomics using ribonuclease P and external guide sequences
Ronald Breaker : creating new enzymes, molecular switches and genetic sensors using rational and combinatorial approaches for enzyme engineering.
Craig Crews : pharmaceutical target validation and small molecule–based exploration of cell biology.
Xing-Wang Deng : plant heterosis and agribiotechnology.
Douglas Kankel : in collaboration with the Goodrich Corp., the development of new optical instruments for biochip analysis and for image acquisition and analysis.
Perry Miller : biomedical Informatics.
Nicholas Ornston : Manipulation of genes and metabolic pathways in bacteria.
Alanna Schepartz : development of novel pharmaceutical classes and their application as potential therapeutics and synthetic biology tools.
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COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
The combination of mathematical modeling and novel experimental methods that probe the real–time dynamics of biological processes in vivo is emerging as a powerful approach to connect molecular mechanism to behavior in biology. It is now possible to build computational models that relate molecular events inside single cells to the behavior of these cells as they interact with the environment and with each other. Biologists can use dynamical modeling as a new tool to explore the dynamical consequences of a hypothesis before doing an experiment. Models help focusing biological questions and targeting experiments, which in turn impose constraints on the models. Close interaction between experimental studies and modeling is critical to success in this area and leads to the understanding of biological phenomena at the systems level.
Faculty with interests in Modeling
Thierry Emonet : Signal transduction and decision making in bacteria, insects and the immune system.
Scott Holley : gene networks, pattern formation and morphogenesis in zebrafish.
Thomas Pollard : the molecular basis of cellular motility and cytokinesis.
Frank Slack : microRNAs in development, aging and disease.
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Updated: November 2, 2011 |
