Research Interests

Work in my lab focuses on genome caretakers at the intersection of the 3Rs of DNA maintenance, Replication, Recombination and DNA Repair. Understanding the molecular bases and regulation of these processes is fundamentally important because accumulation or incomplete repair of DNA lesions can lead to genetic instability and chromosomal rearrangements causing cancer and cell senescence, while erroneous attempts to reestablish stalled or collapsed replication forks may result in diseases associated with progressive expansion of repeated sequences (such as myotonic dystrophy and Fragile X, syndrome among many others).

We study DNA repair at the most fundamental level by first deconstructing the macromolecular ensembles orchestrating distinct DNA repair events down to the level of individual proteins. By combining physical and single-molecule biochemistry, we then investigate molecular mechanisms of the key players in these DNA repair pathways and how other protein partners and posttranslational modifications affect their action. We are also developing novel experimental approaches allowing us to sort and interrogate individual macromolecular complexes extracted from human cells and tissue samples. The resulting integrated in vivo – in vitro – in singulo approach is aimed at identifying features of genome caretaker proteins that can be exploited in designing the new therapeutics.

Current projects in our lab focus on regulation of RAD51 protein, which orchestrates the central step of homologous genetic recombination, on deciphering the molecular mechanisms and regulation of several motor proteins (FBH1, FANCJ, RTEL, CHLR1 and XPD) involved in control of RAD51-mediated recombination, replication fork progression and chromosome segregation, as well as on interplay between recombination and mismatch repair.

News

There are currently no results to display.

Events

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research Workshop: Sarah Jordan 5th Semester Seminar

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 12:30pm to 1:20pm
Medical Education Research Facility
Presentation by:  Sarah Jordan PhD Candidate Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Advisor: Todd Washington, PhD Please note: Workshop presentation titles are not provided publicly in order to protect intellectual property. Please contact biochem@uiowa.edu if you would like more information.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Seminar: Dr. Judith Simcox

Thursday, November 14, 2024 10:30am to 11:20am
Medical Education Research Facility
This event is open to the public. Title TBD Judith Simcox, PhD HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar Assistant Professor Department of Biochemistry University of Wisconsin-Madison Simcox, Judith – Department of Biochemistry – UW–Madison (wisc.edu)

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD Thesis Defense: Andrew Kalenkiewicz

Tuesday, November 19, 2024 12:30pm to 1:20pm
Medical Education Research Facility
Presentation by:  Andrew Kalenkiewicz PhD Candidate Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/MSTP Advisor: Adrian Elcock, DPhil
View more events