Main Body
Research Areas
Genes and Genomes
- Molecular Genetics
- Proper control of gene expression is critical to the normal functioning of an organism. Novel computational approaches devised by Wadsworth scientists are uncovering DNA and RNA sequences that regulate gene expression in diverse organisms, dictating when, where and how much protein to manufacture. Molecular geneticists build on this regulatory information as they investigate processes that cause the cell to diverge from genetic instructions. Knowledge about genome evolution and conservation informs studies of development, inherited disorders and cancers. Similarly, an understanding of non-coding DNA reveals how these sequences create diversity within and among species, while retaining a blueprint for development and function.
- Development
- Wadsworth scientists rely on simpler organisms that lend themselves to genetic studies, such as fruit flies and yeast, to decipher the fundamental mechanisms at play in early human development. They interrogate these model systems about cell identity during embryonic development; for example, what signals a cell to mature into a nerve cell versus a muscle cell, and the consequence of signaling errors. They also delve into the molecular details of how genes are turned on and off, including how the packaging of genes into chromosomes modulates gene expression, and how their protein products function.
- Mammalian Genomics
- Genomics frames ancient questions in the context of modern technology: What causes disease and how can treatment be improved? Wadsworth researchers use transgenic mouse models of human disease, microarrays that compare gene expression in healthy versus diseased cells, and other tools to probe the impact of genetic and environmental factors on disease susceptibility or severity. They investigate genes involved in processes that broadly affect health, such as cholesterol metabolism, and examine learning and memory disorders, Parkinson's, and other neurological diseases from several perspectives, including gene-environment interactions and gene therapy.
- Population Genetics
- Wadsworth scientists apply gene chips, automated mass spectrometry and nanotechnology in population-wide studies, the realm of public health. These include screening newborns for rare genetic disorders; discerning the genetic basis of common conditions through molecular genetic epidemiology; and predicting individual responses to drug treatments, the province of pharmacogenomics. Population studies extend to other species. Infectious disease genomics includes perceiving patterns of population structure, gene flow and infectivity of malaria- and West Nile-infected mosquitoes.