Seminars

I will describe new experimental tools to unravel how cells repair their genomes with extraordinary fidelity. Our high-throughput “DNA curtains” technology combines aspects of micro-/nano-scale engineering, single-molecule biophysics and traditional biochemistry to directly observe the key steps of DNA repair.  Using DNA curtains, we answered a decades-old question:  How do repair enzymes function on a crowded DNA track?
We have also begun to address how genome maintenance impacts cellular longevity and aging. The current dogma is that cells age by an unavoidable accumulation of senescence factors, such as DNA damage and misfolded proteins. By exploiting microfluidics and direct-write µ3D-printing, we have developed an automated micro-dissector for high-throughput observation of aging in fission yeast.  Surprisingly, we find that this simple eukaryote exhibits robust growth and may have achieved functional immortality.