Our lab is interested in genome maintenance mechanisms because genomic instability is one of major causes of various genetic diseases, most notabily cancer. To ensure genomic integrity, cells must replicate the millions or billions of DNA base pairs with almost absolute fidelity every cell cycle. However, cells are constantly under the stress of many agents that cause DNA damage or block to DNA replication. These conditions may induce mutations or other genomic rearrangements that threatens genomic integrity. To circumvent these problems, cells are equipped with a quality control system, termed DNA replication checkpoints. In humans, defects in this checkpoint cause a variety of genetic disorders and a strong predisposition to cancer. Therefore, elucidating how checkpoints maintain genomic integrity is essential to understand genome maintenance mechanisms as they have direct impact on cancer biology.

We work with mammalian cells and the fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe). Fission yeast is an exceptional model system for studying cell cycle control and genome maintenance mechanisms that are highy conserved amongst most eukaryotes, including humans.Our general approach will be to define principles and identify important proteins in fission yeast and then determine whether human homologs of these proteins have related function using tissue cultured cells.

What is Fission yeast? Fission yeast is highly amenable to genetic and biochemical analyses to understand basic cellular functions. Wide variety of genetic manipulations available in fission yeast readily allow you to determine functions of genes and proteins involved. Since many of cellular mechanisms in Fission yeast are similar to those of humans, the information quickly obtained by yeast studies can be extrapolate to human systems.

Our research has been funded by grants from:
Leukemia Research Foundation (2006-2007)
Pennsylvania Department of Health (2007-2008)
W. W. Smith Charitable Trust (2007-2008)
Drexel University College of Medicine Aging Initiative (2008-2011)
National Institute of General Medical Sciences: NIH-NIGMS (2008-2013)
Recovery Act of 2009: NIH-NIGMS (2009-2011)
National Institute on Aging: NIH-NIA (2009-2012)