For over a century, scientists have employed yeast as a model system to understand how basic biological systems operate. Most often, the information gained from the yeast system provides us with insights into how similar processes occur in humans. Grant Hartzog's laboratory uses biochemical and genetic techniques on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to examine the role chromatin, which consists of the DNA of our genomes and the proteins that associate with the DNA, plays in gene expression and the mechanisms by which chromatin structure is manipulated to regulate transcription. The group focuses on two proteins, Spt4 and Spt5, which form a complex and appear to modulate transcription by interacting with chromatin. [More]

Todd Lowe's research group uses a mixture of computational and experimental genomics to identify and characterize non-coding RNA (ncRNA) genes and to study the unique biology of Archaeal “extremophiles” – microbes that live at the edge of the limits of life.  His team has created several classes of non-coding RNAs gene-finders, and has created full-genome DNA microarrays for two different hyperthermophile species to study ancient forms of respiration and strategies for thermo-tolerance.  The group has also created a genome browser and functional genomics resource for all archaeal and extremophile species (archaea.ucsc.edu), now funded by the NSF. [More]

Professor Karen Ottemann's laboratory investigates how bacteria translate chemical and physical cues in their host environment into adaptive responses. Mistakes in sensation and subsequent gene expression by bacteria may result in their elimination by the host immune response or peristaltic flow. Elucidation of such processes will hopefully lead to identification of anti-bacterial drug targets. Ottemann is particularly interested in the role of chemoreceptors and chemotaxis associated with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. This pathogen infects some 3 billion humans and can lead to serious disease, including ulcers and cancer. Ottemann and her colleagues have discovered two of the first chemoreceptors known to aid in the process of bacterial colonization. [More]

Professor Pourmand"s lab develops new tools and technologies that integrate biology, electronics, and nanofabrication for the detection and study of genes and proteins. These tools are specifically designed to increase the speed and lower the cost of sample analysis. The lab directs particular attention to the development of medically relevant technology, such as instruments for pathogen detection. Pourmand is also spearheading UCSC's effort to establish a new high-throughput, high-quality sequencing facility. [More]

By converting the chemical form of arsenic found in the soil, naturally occurring microbes have been shown to exacerbate arsenic contamination of ground water, resulting in serious health crises in Asia and Latin America. Professor Chad Saltikov investigates the molecular biology of these microbial processes. Data from his laboratory will help devise strategies that can be used to ameliorate contamination of drinking water. [More]

The Sullivan lab uses the Drosophila embryo as a model system to investigate the mechanisms that drive furrow invagination during cytokinesis. Through a combination of cellular and molecular genetic approaches, the Sullivan group has showed that furrow formation requires coordinated cell cycle regulated and endocytic-based vesicle recruitment. These studies have also identified a new role for cell cycle checkpoints in coordinating the nuclear cycle with cytokinesis. More recently, the lab has applied these approaches toward understanding the mechanisms by which the widespread intracellular insect pathogen, Wolbachia, influences host nuclear and cytoplasmic cell cycles. [More]

Ex-vivo Survival Mechanisms used by Vibrio cholerae between Epidemics: Fitnat Yildiz's laboratory investigates signaling and regulatory networks of Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the Asiatic cholera. She and her colleagues are particularly interested in those mechanisms that allow the pathogen to adapt to changes in its habitat. The bacteria's ability to survive in different growth modes in aquatic environments is closely linked to seasonal epidemics of cholera. Yildiz's laboratory is attempting to identify and characterize genes and processes associated with phase variations of the pathogen. Their results will be useful for prediction and control of epidemics of this devastating disease. [More]

Microbes play critical roles in the cycling of organic matter and in the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients and trace elements. Many studies involve the nitrogen cycle, with an emphasis on biological nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen fixation is an important source of biologically available nitrogen in the world's oceans. Using molecular biology approaches, including the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse-transcriptase PCR, novel nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria have been discovered in the North Pacific. Zehr's interests include the fundamental basis for the distribution of microorganisms and genetic information in the environment. Many microorganisms in the environment cannot be easily cultivated, and thus cultivation-independent approaches are needed in order to study biodiversity and biocomplexity of microbial populations. Zehr's laboratory studies the patterns of distribution of genes and genomes in aquatic systems ranging from the open ocean, to estuaries and freshwater lakes. [More]