Bryce E. Nickels, Ph.D.

Research

Transcription in all cells is carried out by multisubunit RNA polymerases (RNAPs) that are conserved in sequence, structure and function from bacteria to humans. Thus, a fundamental understanding of the diverse mechanisms employed by the bacterial cell to regulate RNAP function is important for understanding gene regulation in all organisms. Our laboratory utilizes genetic and biochemical approaches to gain a detailed mechanistic understanding of the processes underlying the regulation of gene expression at the level of transcription. To facilitate our studies of transcription and its regulation we exploit the relative simplicity of the bacterial system and the power of bacterial genetics.