Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Microbial Biology for FY 2000

Haseltine, Cynthia A, Lincoln NE

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Microbial Biology for 2000. The research and training plan is in the area of Microbial Genetics and is entitled "Mechanism of Homologous Recombination in Archaea". This research examines general recombination mechanisms in the hyperthermophilic archaeal microbe Solfolobus solfataricus. Functional homologues to eukaryotic recombination proteins are being heterologously produced and are used to reconstitute archaeal recombination in-vitro. In-vivo gene disruption and mutant rescue studies will complement the in-vitro data and demonstrate functional homology of proteins produced by S. solfataricus to those produced in yeasts. Homologous recombination is a universal process in which genetic information is exchanged between separate strands of DNA, introducing new linkages and genetic sequences.