Deadline for Letters of Recommendations

So, it seems we are experiencing the festival of the last minute as many applications turned up over the weekend and throughout the day. February 15th is the deadline for applications, though I will not disable the application page until Wednesday morning (you're welcome).

Many of you are concerned about the deadline for letters of recommendation. In order to be considered, your letters of recommendation must be received by February 20th, a five-day extension. I'll be running an ultra-marathon the day before, so I am sure I will appreciate being able to kick back and peruse all of your wonderful letters on Sunday evening.

Best of luck,

Amy

New Project Added!

Michael Bartlett The Role of Basal Transcription Factors in Gene Expression in Hyperthermophile Archaea. Our research focus is on the basic mechanism of transcription in the archaea. The transcription machinery in archaea is strikingly similar to that of eukaryotes, although considerably simpler. Our model system is the hyperthermophile archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, which grows best at temperatures near 100°C. The roles of its transcription factors in transcription initiation and elongation are being studied using biochemistry and molecular biology. We recently developed a novel cross-linking technique to define protein-DNA interactions that relies on recombinant proteins containing unnatural amino acids. An REU project will involve introduction of mutations in surfaces likely to be involved in DNA-protein interactions, followed by characterization of the mutant proteins in biochemical assays. Through this, the REU student will gain experience in the design and introduction of site-directed mutations, protein purification, gel electrophoresis, PCR, and in vitro analysis of protein-DNA interactions. Understanding the specific positioning and roles of transcription factors will help develop a unified model for transcription initiation and elongation in eukaryotic-type transcription systems.

Seminars Moved to Mondays

I have changed the seminars to Monday evenings. The seminars will focus on practical skills, including report writing, public speaking, an in-depth workshop on graduate school application, designing and presenting a good PowerPoint, poster design and presentation/defense, grant writing and funding resources, and an ethics round table. All REU participants will be required to attend.

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