Noe Baruch Torres, Ph.D.

Research

In the Yin lab, I will study the human mitochondrial replisome, a specialized protein complex machinery that cells use to copy the DNA found in their mitochondria. Mitochondria are subcellular structures that maintain their own small genome, separate from the chromosomes found in the nucleus. Numerous diseases are caused by mutations that alter this DNA, including mutations that impair the activity of the replisome that copies it. Yet little is known about how the proteins within this dedicated complex work together to faithfully replicate mitochondrial DNA. Using advanced techniques in molecular biology and genetics, biochemistry, and structural analysis, I will determine the atomic structure of an operational replication complex and characterize the contacts made by its constituent proteins, interactions that are critical for the complex to function. These findings could lead to novel therapeutics for a range of mitochondrial diseases, including neurological and muscular disorders and premature aging.