Office: Mrb 231
Phone: (970) 491-2695
Education
- Ph.D. Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University
- M.S. Biomedical Sciences, University of New Mexico
- B.A. Biochemistry, University of New Mexico
About
The replisome is a multiprotein machine that orchestrates duplication of the genome—including the epigenome—with strikingly high accuracy despite a constant barrage of obstacles. These challenges to replication pose risks for mutagenesis and replication fork collapse. My lab is interested in auxiliary machinery that directly couples to the core replisome, handling these obstacles in coordination with the DNA replication apparatus to achieve high fidelity chromosome duplication. Using replisomes and chromatin reconstituted from protein complexes purified in yeast, we study these molecular mechanisms in detail with single-molecule fluorescence techniques in addition to traditional biochemistry.
Publications
- Tunability of DNA Polymerase Stability During Eukaryotic ReplicationMolecular Cell, 2020 Jan 2; 77(1): 17-25.e5. †co-first author,
- Replisome preservation by a single-stranded DNA gate in the CMG helicaseCell, 2019 Jul 25;178(3):600-611.e16. †co-first author; *co-corresponding author,
- Nuclease dead Cas9 is a programmable roadblock for DNA replicationSci Rep. 2019 Sep 16;9(1):13292, 2019
- Single-molecule visualization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae leading-strand synthesis reveals dynamic interaction between MTC and the replisomeProc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2017 Oct 3;114(40):10630–10635. PMCID: PMC5635917; †co-first author,
- Mcm10 promotes rapid isomerization of CMG-DNA for replisome bypass of lagging strand DNA blockseLife. 2017 Sep 4;6. PMCID: PMC5599239,
- Reconstitution of a eukaryotic replisome reveals suppression mechanisms that define leading/lagging strand operationeLife. 2015 Apr 30. PMCID: PMC4413876,
- Mechanism of allosteric inhibition of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase revealed by single-molecule and ensemble fluorescenceNucleic Acids Research. 2014 Oct;42(18):11687–11696. PMCID: PMC4191400,
- Early integration of the individual student in academic activities: a novel classroom concept for graduate education in molecular biophysics and structural biology. BMC Biophysics. 2014;7:6. PMCID: PMC4134111,
- PcrA-mediated disruption of RecA nucleoprotein filaments--essential role of the ATPase activity of RecANucleic Acids Research. 2012;40(17):8416-24. PMCID: PMC3458574,
- Steric exclusion and wrapping of the excluded DNA strand occurs along discrete external binding paths during MCM helicase unwindingNucleic Acids Research. 2011;39(15):6585-95. PMCID: PMC3159478,