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X-WR-CALNAME:“Dissecting Molecular Mechanisms of Eukaryotic Transcription
  Regulation Using the Power of Genome-Wide Assays”-John Lis
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Eastern Time (US & Canada)
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260719T124635Z
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_3816592
DTSTART:20181130T172000Z
DTEND:20181130T182000Z
DESCRIPTION:John Lis\nMolecular Biology and Genetics\, Cornell\n\nJohn Lis 
 is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. He did
  his graduate research at Brandeis University and received his Ph.D. in Bi
 ochemistry in 1975. His postdoctoral work focused on Drosophila gene regul
 ation and chromosome structure at Stanford University\, during which time 
 he was supported by a fellowship from the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation. Dr
 . Lis joined the faculty at Cornell in 1978. His research program has been
  supported by the National Institutes of Health\, including a MERIT Award\
 , March of Dimes\, American Cancer Society\, Cornell Biotechnology Institu
 te\, and a Proctor and Gamble University Exploratory Research Grant.\n\nRe
 search Focus\nThe Lis Lab develops and uses a variety of strategies to stu
 dy the structure of promoters and genes and the mechanisms of their regula
 tion in living cells. Our main model system has been the heat shock genes.
  These genes can undergo a 200-fold activation of transcription in respons
 e to small change in temperature and other cellular stresses. Over the yea
 rs\, we have developed genetic\, optical and biochemical approaches that c
 an be applied to study gene transcription and regulation with high precisi
 on and specificity in vivo. These include approaches that view the underly
 ing mechanisms at the molecular level and in their native cellular environ
 ment. While our studies in the past were focused on a few genes\, new geno
 me-wide methods\, several which we have developed\, allow the interrogatio
 n of the entire genome – often with higher precision and sensitivity tha
 n our older focused gene studies. The genome-wide approaches are allowing 
 the generality of hypotheses to be tested\, and they are providing massive
  data for generating new hypotheses of how genes are regulated.\nWe test o
 ur proposed molecular mechanisms by examining the consequences of targeted
  disruption of key protein factors or factor activities. This disruption o
 f factors can be achieved by several strategies. Some strategies are easy 
 and generally applied\, such as RNAi\, but are not effective at sorting pr
 imary from secondary effects. Others can be harder to implement\, but are 
 better at rigorously identifying the direct effects of a factor. We freque
 ntly use highly-specific small molecule inhibitors of the enzymes involved
  in transcription and regulation\, when such molecules are available. Addi
 tionally\, we have invested heavily in developing efficient selection meth
 ods for RNA aptamers that bind specific factors. RNA aptamers are of parti
 cular interest to us as they provide alternatives to small-molecular-weigh
 t "drugs" and can be selected in vitro from large combinatorial sequence p
 ool for their affinity to a target protein. Next generation sequencing and
  use of our multiplex devices in selections have dramatically increased th
 e rate production of RNA aptamers that bind target molecules with high aff
 inity and specificity. These RNA aptamers are large enough to bind tightly
  to macromolecular surfaces and disrupt/inhibit interactions of a targeted
  macromolecule. Additionally\, these aptamers can be targeted with precisi
 on by expressing the RNAs in cell under the control of specific promoters\
 , allowing modulatation or perturbation of molecular interactions with hig
 h temporal and spatial precision in tissue culture cells or animals.
GEO:42.448257;-76.477287
LOCATION:Plant Science Building\, 404
SUMMARY:“Dissecting Molecular Mechanisms of Eukaryotic Transcription Regu
 lation Using the Power of Genome-Wide Assays”-John Lis
URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.cornell.edu/event/PLBIO_FALL_2018_LIS
CATEGORIES:Seminar
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