BIOCHEMISTRY

Prof. Tom Record (Principal Investigator)

Steenbock Professor in Chemical Sciences; John D. Ferry Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry. B.A., Yale University; Ph.D.: University of California-San Diego
Faculty page
Research Description:
Protein-nucleic acid interactions, including kinetics and mechanism of transcription initiation, characterization of DNA wrapping in protein DNA complexes, development of small molecule solutes as thermodynamic and mechanistic probes of protein and DNA conformational changes.

Dr. Irina Shkel (Assistant Scientist)

Department: Biochemistry, Chemistry

Research Description:

Dr. Kate Henderson (Postdoc)

Department: Biochemistry
Subgroup: RNA polymerase
Previous Education:BS (Chemistry), PhD (Chemistry)
Research Description:
Pastime Activities/Hobbies: Running, biking, reading, playing board games

Dylan Plaskon (Graduate, 4th year)

Program: Integrated Program in Biochemistry
Subgroup:RNA polymerase
Research Description:  Investigating the effects of the discriminator on transcription initiation.
Pastime Activities/Hobbies:  Soccer, Hiking, Basketball, Trivia, Tennis 

Munish Chhabra (Graduate, 4th year)

Program: Biophysics
Subgroup:RNA polymerase
Previous Education: B.Tech (Biotechnology)
Research Description:  Understanding the process of transcription initiation using fluorescence measurements (at both bulk and single molecule level).
Pastime Activities/Hobbies: Swimming and Running

Hao-Che Wang (Graduate, 1st year)

Program: Biophysics
Subgroup: RNA polymerase
Previous Education: BS (Life Science), Master (Molecule biology)
Research Description:Studying the discriminator effect on the mechanism of transcription initiation
Pastime Activities/Hobbies:  Playing the piano, listening to music, cooking, watching movies

Emily Zytkiewicz (Manager/Associate Research Specialist)

Subgroup: Solutes
Previous Education: B.S. (Biochemistry)
Research Description:
Quantifying chemical interactions of polyols with protein functional groups in order to develop solute probes of biopolymer processes
Pastime Activities/Hobbies: dancing, hiking, camping, gardening

Sarah Doughty (Undergraduate)

Major(s):  Biochemistry
Subgroup:  RNA Polymerase
Research Description:  Effects of the Discriminator on Transcription Initiation
Pastime Activities/Hobbies:  Running, hiking, and cooking

Kate McClure (Undergraduate)

Major(s):  Biochemistry
Subgroup:  Solutes
Research Description:  Studying the interaction potential of various solutes using solubility assays.
Pastime Activities/Hobbies:  reading, yoga, volunteering

Jack Prazich (Undergraduate)

Major(s):  Biochemistry
Subgroup:  RNAP
Research Description:
Pastime Activities/Hobbies:  I love my dog and running until I injure myself.

Sumin Yang (Undergraduate)

Major(s):  Biochemistry
Subgroup:  Solutes
Research Description:  Measuring the interactions of polyols with functional groups of proteins using Vapor Pressure Osmometry.
Pastime Activities/Hobbies:  playing tennis, watching The Daily Show

Loran Cipala (Undergraduate)

Major(s): Chemistry
Subgroup: Solutes
Research Description:  Using Vapor Pressure Osmometry to measure organic molecule interactions with various protein functional groups. 
Pastime Activities/Hobbies: Dancing, running, baking, and riding dirtbike

Claire Evensen (Undergraduate)

Major(s): Biochemistry and Mathematics
Subgroup: RNA polymerase
Research Description:  Studying free energy in scrunching and characterizing pause points in RNA polymerase transcription 
Pastime Activities/Hobbies: Music, hiking, baking, reading

Keer Zhao (Undergraduate)

Major(s): sophomore, Chemistry
Subgroup: solutes
Research Description: 
Pastime Activities/Hobbies: cooking, reading, and watching films

Artun Kadaster (Undergraduate)

Major(s): Biochemistry
Subgroup: RNA Polymerase
Research Description: Studying kinetics of abortive transcription products with APU.
Pastime Activities/Hobbies: Flying airplanes, playing and listening to music, running, cooking/eating, and studying for exams.

Guanyu Liao (Undergraduate)

Major(s): Biochemistry, Statistics
Subgroup: RNA Polymerase
Research Description:
The association and dissociation kinetics of RNA polymerase and the role of the discriminator region on the kinetics.
Pastime Activities/Hobbies: Volleyball, traveling, watching football

Sarah Dyke (Undergraduate)

Major(s): Biochemistry and French
Subgroup: RNA Polymerase
Research Description: 
Pastime Activities/Hobbies: 

Jamie Schuberth (Undergraduate)

Major(s): Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biology (4th year)
Subgroup: solutes
Research Description:  Measuring the interactions of various amides with salts with varying carbon (aliphatic and sp2), oxygen, and nitrogen accessible surface areas via vapor pressure osmometry.
Pastime Activities/Hobbies:  Going to Concerts, Cooking, Drawing & Painting