Our research is focused on three related areas:
- Understanding fundamental aspects of protein DNA recognition
- Engineering artificial transcription factors for gene regulation and modification
- Developing new selection tech nologies to facilitate the first two goals
Our research on protein-DNA recognition is currently focused primarily on two different types of DNA-binding domains:
We continue to develop a bacterial one-hybrid system for the rapid characterization of the specificities of sequence-specific transcription factors. Using this technology we intend to characterize all of the sequence-specific transcription factors in the Drosophila melanogaster genome in collaboration with the laboratory of Michael Brodsky (UMMS – PGFE).
We are also using our novel selection tools to engineer zinc finger proteins with novel DNA-binding specificity for use in Zebrafish to knock-out a desired target gene in collaboration with Nathan Lawson (UMMS – PGFE).
Danio rerio gene knock-out project