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The evolution of mRNA splicing in mammals
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)
In this thesis, I describe investigations into the evolution of splicing in mammals. I first investigate a small class of alternative splicing events, tandem splice sites, and show how they are used to introduce and remove ...
Allosteric activation of periplasmic HtrA proteases
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)
Escherichia coli responds to outer-membrane stress using a signaling cascade initiated when DegS, an HtrA-family periplasmic protease, cleaves RseA, a transmembrane anti-sigma factor, causing downstream release of the ...
Evolutionary and ecological genomics in deep-sea organisms
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)
Hydrothermal vents and coral ecosystems are conspicuous biological hot spots in the deep-sea. These ecosystems face increasing threats from human activities. Having thorough taxonomic inventories as well as understanding ...
The role of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase in cell proliferation and tumor progression
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)
The metabolic needs of proliferating cells are distinct from those of quiescent, terminally differentiated cells. Cancer is a disease of inappropriate cell proliferation, and tumor cells require a unique metabolic program ...
Inflammation triggers Zeb1-dependent escape from tumor dormancy
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016)
Metastasis-related mortality for breast cancer patients often occurs many years after treatment of the primary tumor. Inflammation, through the orchestra of immune cells and released inflammatory cytokines, can predispose ...
Toxin-antitoxin systems in bacteria : targets, mechanisms, and specificity
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are genetic modules widely present on bacterial chromosomes. These systems comprise a toxin and cognate antitoxin that are encoded together in an operon; normally, the toxin and antitoxin are ...
Engineering probiotic microbes for in vivo applications
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020)
Our overall goal is to engineer probiotic microbes as localized diagnostic and therapeutic tools for diseases in the gastrointestinal tract, like inflammatory bowel disease. Current treatments often rely on systemic ...
Dynamic regulation and functions of locus-specific DNA methylation
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020)
The role and regulation of DNA methylation at various genetic elements have gathered tremendous interest over decades. The methylomes of many cell types have been described, revealing a dynamic and tissue-specific pattern ...
Investigation of two-component signaling systems in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and their roles in the mucus barrier
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2021)
All living things must be able to sense and respond to signals in their environment in order to grow and survive. For bacteria, a common means through which this occurs is via two-component signaling systems, which are ...
New mechanisms in transcription regulation and chromosome organization in Caulobacter crescentus
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016)
Bacteria use a variety of mechanisms to control transcription in response to environmental cues or growth conditions. Activation or repression of transcription is often carried out by proteins, called transcription factors, ...