Thesis Advisor: Kevin Lang
Research: My thesis is focused on genome integrity and ways in which cells handle lesions in their DNA. Treating bacteria with ciprofloxacin, which binds to gyrase, results in the formation of a covalently crosslinked DNA-gyrase complex that is no longer able to dissociate from the DNA. This complex causes stalling of replication/transcription, and its removal leads double stranded DNA breaks. Preliminary data from the Lang Lab showed that ErmB decreased sensitivity to ciprofloxacin. ErmB methylates the ribosome and, thus, provides resistance to erythromycin. To date, tehre have been no links between macrolide resistance and fluroquinolone resistance. Our goal is to identify how alterations to the ribosome allow the cell to overcome damage/stalling on the DNA.
