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Josh Stuart's research group develops computational approaches for predicting gene function and discovering how gene activity is regulated and modulated in response to cellular events and processes. Their methods combine genome-wide functional data across multiple organisms to identify conserved genetic mechanisms. The group has three broad aims: 1) to develop computational models to predict gene function, 2) to integrate datasets across multiple organisms to identify core molecular pathways, and 3) to develop algorithms and resources for biological discovery. Stuart also collaborates with numerous colleagues at UCSC and elsewhere to predict molecular targets of drugs, causal networks in disease, and pathways involved in stem cell differentiation. [More]

Lipoxygenases are enzymes implicated in a broad range of human cancers, as well as cardiac and inflammatory diseases. Ted Holman's laboratory examines the enzymatic mechanism and biological function of lipoxygenase in the hopes of developing novel inhibitors. In collaboration with UCSC Professor Phil Crews, his laboratory has identified potent lipoxygenase inhibitors and are currently characterizing their structure/function reactivity. The results of this work will shed light on their potential as anti-cancer agents. [More]

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]

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]

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is a large protein structure embedded in the double-membrane of a cell's nucleus. This porin structure regulates all transport between the nucleoplasm and the cytoplasm of the cell. Research in the Rexach lab focuses on fundamental aspects of nucleocytoplasmic transport and on the architecture of the nuclear pore complex. [More]