Manju Hingorani, associate professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, speaks on DNA mismatch repair during the 10th annual Molecular Biophysics Program Sept. 24 at Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown. More than 70 students and faculty attended the day-long event.Wilma Olson, the Mary I. Bunting Professor of Chemistry at Rutgers University, was the keynote speaker. She spoke about DNA Mechanics and Regulation. Olson is an expert on the influence of chemical architecture on the structure and properties of nucleic acids.At left, Michael Weir, director of the Hughes Program in the Life Sciences, professor of biology, and in center, Brian Northrop, assistant professor of chemistry, listen to Olson’s presentation.Northrop also delivered a talk during the retreat titled ‘Dynamic self-assembly as a route to new organic materials.’During a poster session, molecular biology and biochemistry graduate student F. Noah Biro explains his DNA mismatch repair research titled “Developing Reporter Systems to Monitor the Structural Dynamics of MutS.” Biro’s faculty advisor is Manju Hingorani.Laurel Appel, director of the McNair Program, adjunct associate professor of biology, senior research associate, listens to Biro explain his research.Olson mingled with students during the Poster Session.Chemistry graduate student Daniel Czyzyk, center, explains his research titled “Heptosyltransferase I and its Role in Biofilm Formation.” Czyzyk’s advisor is Erika Taylor, assistant professor of chemistry.David Beveridge, the University Professor of the Sciences and Mathematics, professor of chemistry, reads through the program schedule.Chemistry graduate student Sattanathan Paramasivan talks about his research titled “A mix and measure fluorescence screening assay for the exploration of selective quadruplex binders.” Paramasivan’s advisor is Philip Bolton, professor of chemistry.Rich Olson, assistant professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, speaks on “Poring over the structural basis of Vibro cholerae cytolysin assembly.”Chemistry Department research assistant Elizabeth Wheatley, right, speaks to Olga Buzovetsky ’10, about her research titled “A Molecular Dynamics Study of DNA Bending in the Integration Host Factor-DNA Complex.” The complex of the protein IHF with oligometric DNA results in a highly-unusual structure in which the DNA is bent by nearly 180 degrees. Wheatley’s advisor is David Beveridge.Molecular biology and biochemistry graduate student Yan Li explains her research titled “Investigation of the Binding Interaction of S. cerevisiae MutS homologs MSH2-MSH6 and MSH4-MSH5 with Holliday Junctions.” Yan’s advisors are Ishita Mukerji, chair and professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, and Manju Hingorani. (Photos by Olivia Bartlett Drake and Manju Hingorani)
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