DNA Transactions at an Atomic Level

The genetic information encoded within DNA is copied, maintained, and decoded by protein machines. Our laboratory uses electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, and other high-resolution structural and biochemical approaches to investigate the molecular details of how these proteins repair damaged DNA and maintain integrity of the genome during replication.

Featured Article

A mechanistic model of primer synthesis from catalytic structures of DNA polymerase α–primase. Nat Struct Mol Biol

In the News

Leah Oswalt awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Article highlighting Elwood's work on polα–primase

New NSF grant to work on bacterial DNA glycosylases involved in interstrand crosslink repair and antibiotic self-resistance

Noah receives the 2022 Edward Ferguson Jr. Graduate Award from the Graduate School

News Archives

Training Opportunities Available

  • CryoEM structures of DNA polymerase α–primase during DNA synthesis
     
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  • High-resolution structure of a native DNA-protein crosslink
     
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  • Time-resolved crystallography to monitor base excision repair by DNA glycosylases
     
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  • HLTF's ancient HIRAN domain binds 3' DNA ends to drive replication fork reversal
     
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  • Bacterial AlkD is the first glycosylase discovered to repair a bulky lesions like the natural product yatakemycin
     
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  • How do DNA repair enzymes search the genome for chemical damage?

  • How are stalled replication forks repaired?

  • SMARCAL1 HARP domain is important for reversal of stalled forks
     
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  • HEAT repeats have emerged as an important nucleic acid binding architecture

  • Building the atomic structure of a protein-DNA complex into experimental electron density from X-ray diffraction data

  • NMR chemical shift perturbation to monitor protein structural changes induced by DNA binding
     
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