Drs. Derbyshire and Gray have backgrounds in prokaryotic and human molecular biology respectively, and now we combine our expertise and enthusiasm in deciphering the molecular biology of mycobacteria. We use the genetically amenable Mycobacterium smegmatis as a model organism for our studies into gene expression, cell-cell-communication, protein secretion and conjugative transfer of chromosomal DNA. We use a combination of standard molecular genetic and genomic approaches, such as RNA-seq, ribo-seq and whole genome sequencing, to provide molecular insight into mechanism and genome architecture.
Join Our Laboratory!
We currently have research positions in the laboratory for a postdoctoral fellow and research technician. The current projects available may vary, but if you are interested in a specific research area we are happy to consider your preferences and suggestions! Please send your resume and a description of your research interests to Health Research Incorporated.
For information on the expression of mycobacterial genes, please visit our Interactive genomics page.
We thank the NIH and NSF for their research support.
Program Updates
Dr. Keith Derbyshire Named AAAS Fellow
Dr. Derbyshire joins the ranks of distinguished scientists recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) since 1874 - from Thomas Edison and Linus Pauling, to four of the 2018 Nobel Prize laureates.
AAAS...
read moreNew Study First to Describe Mycobacterial Cell - Cell Communication
For bacteria, sharing genetic information can be critical to survival. It can also make them fitter, better pathogens, and more able to evade the immune system and resist antibiotics. One way bacteria share their genetic information is by a process called conjugation,...
read moreKeith Derbyshire Receives Sturman Excellence in Research Award
Twenty-four years at the Wadsworth Center have given Keith Derbyshire, Ph.D., a career’s worth of MEMOs. Not the interoffice paper shuffle made obsolete by email and text messages, but a laboratory dedicated to MEMOs – Mobile Elements in Micro-...
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