CRISPR Guided Insights into the Biology of Archaea.
Event Details
- Type
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology Seminars
- Speaker(s)
-
Dipti Nayak, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of California, Berkeley
- Speaker bio(s)
-
Methanogenic archaea carry out an unusual energy metabolism that culminates in the production of methane gas. No other trait is more emblematic of extant archaea, which makes methanogens an ideal system for probing foundational questions about archaeal biology. These microbes are also abundant in anoxic environments within and around us, and they account for the vast majority of methane emissions on our planet. Yet despite their importance to human and planetary health, methanogens remain poorly understood. In this talk, I will present work from my lab that uses our recently developed CRISPR genome-editing toolkit to characterize the distinctive molecular biology and metabolism of methanogenic archaea. On the molecular side, I will describe the discovery of a new class of archaeal transcription factors and of an ambiguous genetic code. Turning to methanogenesis itself, I will showcase our efforts to map the energy conservation pathways of these microorganisms and the biogenesis of methyl-coenzyme M reductase, the enzyme that catalyzes the final step of biological methane production.
- Open to
- Public
- Reception
- Refreshments, 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Lower Level Greenberg Building (CRC)
- Phone
- (212) 327-8636
- Sponsor
-
Melanie Lee
(212) 327-8636
leem@rockefeller.edu