Jackie Roberts: Structure of metal binding transcription factors
Our current interest focuses on understanding transcriptional regulation in Archaea utilizing structural, bioinformatic, and biochemical analyses. Towards this, we are using molecular and biochemical techniques to generate clones and express and purify transcriptional factors. We have generated diffraction quality crystals of one transcription factor in the presence and absence of metals. Crystallographic data has been collected at the Argonne National Labs in Chicago. Many of the students who have worked on this project are now in various graduate and medical schools across the county. In the past five years three students have completed senior thesis projects.