Research Clusters

PostDoctoral Research

Graduate Research

Molecular Cell & Developmental Biology
225 Sinsheimer Laboratories
Phone: 831.459.4986
Fax: 831.459.3139
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MCDB GRADUATE RESEARCH

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Ph.D. Student	Lab	Email
Barberan,Sergio	Zahler	barberan@biology.ucsc.edu
My research involves the study of the regulation of tissue-specific alternative splicing in C. elegans by using microarrays and mRNA-tagging. At the same time I hope to gain further understanding of the evolution of alternative splicing by using a comparative genomics approach to study unique splicing events in nematodes.
Cao, Jian	Sullivan	cao@biology.ucsc.edu
The Drosophila early embryo has been an excellent system for studying cell cycle dependent events. In particular, I am interested in how F-actin and membrane are recruited for cytokinesis furrow ingression. Nuf, a Rab11 effector, has previously been shown to play a key role in delivering F-actin and membrane to the invaginating furrows. Currently, my work focuses on the mechanism of how Nuf functions at the recycling endosome (RE) for vesicle transport during cytokinesis and how Nuf is regulated through the cell cycle.
Dassah, Mary Ann	Zahler	dassah@biology.ucsc.edu
I am interested in mutations to the intronic +1G nucleotide of 5' splice signals. These are common features sited in many human genetic disease alleles. Genetic suppression of intronic +1G mutations by mutant U1 snRNAs containing compensatory base-pairing substitutions has been discovered in our lab. My research focuses on finding genetic suppressors of 5' splice site mutations.
Dorighi, Kristel	Tamkun	dorighi@biology.ucsc.edu
I study the role of chromatin remodeling and histone modification in development using, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model system. Specifically, I am working to understand how Kismet, a trithorax group ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler, antagonizes Polycomb group proteins and facilitates transcriptional elongation.
Kabat, Jenn	Zahler	kabat@biology.ucsc.edu
I am taking a comparative genomics approach to identify and investigate the regulators of splice site choice in alternative splicing of mRNA transcripts in C.elegans.
Little, John	Jurica	little@biology.ucsc.edu
Analyzing purified C complex spliceosomes by mass spectrometry has revealed over 100 associated proteins.  We have begun a systematic screen to clone, express and purify this large group of proteins for structural studies using x-ray crystallography.  By obtaining high-resolution structural detail of individual splicing factors, we hope to better understand how the spliceosome carries out the chemistry splicing, eventually modeling these factors into an EM map of C complex spliceosomes.
Quan, Tiffani	Hartzog	quan@biology.ucsc.edu
My graduate research is focused on transcription elongation in the context of chromatin templates in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In particular, I am interested in determining the functions of the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler Chd1 and the Paf1 elongation complex and how these are related to the overall function of the Spt4-Spt5 elongation complex.
Ruben, Giulia	Kamakaka	gurun@biology.ucsc.edu
I am interested in the role of the Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC) in the regulation of gene expression. Studies have shown that active and inactive chromatin cluster within the nuclear space, and that association with NPCs correlates with gene activity. Futhermore, many nuclear transport proteins have been identified that act as barriers to silencing (insulators). We specifically aim to elucidate the roles of some of these nuclear transport proteins as physical mediators of gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using gene expression analyses, chromatin immunoprecipitation and microscopy experiments.
Tamble, Craig	Lokey	tamble@biology.ucsc.edu
Designed a high-throughput screen looking for small molecule inhibitors of the intra-S-phase cell cycle checkpoint.  The screen has pulled out numerous structural classes of small molecules and with differing activities.  Working towards identifying the targets of the small molecules.
Yazar, Berra	Hartzog	yazar@biology.ucsc.edu
Spt4 and Spt5 are accessory proteins that interact strongly with elongating RNA Pol II and can positively and negatively influence transcription elongation. The complex of Spt4/5 is conserved across eukaryotes and known as DSIF in humans. Our goal is to determine how the structure of the complex enables it to control RNA Pol II elongation rates and fulfill multiple roles in mRNA processing.

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