During cell division, initiator proteins target and bind to DNA replication origins to trigger genome duplication. We are characterizing the structure of Drosophila melanogaster Origin Recognition Complex (DmORC), and the effect of nucleotide and phosphorylation state in conformation and function... read more

Regulated gene transcription in eukaryotes requires the assembly of a complex molecular machinery that includes general factors, activators, cofactor complexes and chromatin remodeling factors. We are interested in characterizing the structure of these different components and how they interact to regulate transcription. Read more about RSC...   Read more about PBAF...   Read more about TFIID...   Read more about RNAPII...

In eukaryotes at least twelve translation initiation factors and an mRNA methylated G-cap are required to initiate protein synthesis, while in many viruses a structured RNA element replaces most of those factors. We are studying the molecular interplays that characterize both initiation pathways... read more

Our lab is part of a large NCI funded project in Structural Biology of DNA Repair that aims at producing biologically relevant DNA repair structures and identifying fundamental structural principles for repair proteins. The role of electron microscopy is to provide structures of large macromolecular complexes involved in these processes... read more