We are using a combination of genetic, biochemical, bioinformatics and RNA-seq approaches to analyze the post-transcriptional control of gene expression in the model prokaryote, Escherichia coli. These studies include examining the biological role of polyadenylation in bacteria, determining the multiple pathways by which primary transfer RNA (tRNA) transcripts are processed into their mature forms, outlining the enzymatic steps in converting primary 30S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) transcripts into their mature 16S, 23S and 5S components, examining the mechanisms of mRNA decay and processing, and understanding how small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) help control gene expression. Other research interests include various aspects of using Escherichia coli as a host for expressing eukaryotic proteins and DNA repair.
