Section: Rotations

Postdoctoral Position Available

Janet Stavnezer, Ph.D.

Academic Role: Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Molecular Genetics and Microbiology

Other Affiliation(s):
   Center for AIDS Research
   Interdisciplinary Graduate Program
   Program in Immunology and Virology

Rotation Project

Genome-wide search for AID-dependent DNA breaks

Although AID is induced in activated B cells and mainly targets the antibody genes, we have used chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP), followed by hybridization of the immunoprecipitated DNA to mouse tiling arrays, to demonstrate that it also induces double-strand breaks in numerous other genes.  These other sites are reproducibly targeted.  Some of the genes are known to be translocated or amplified in human B cell lymphomas.  So far we know that at least one of the sites occurs precisely at the sites of translocations between an oncogene and the antibody genes in human B cell lymphomas.  The goal of the student’s project will be to perform this analysis in human B cells, analyzing the results by ChIP, followed by deep DNA sequencing.  The student will learn how to culture cells, perform ChIP, and to use bioinformatics to analyze the results.  Numerous questions can be addressed in this project, such as what directs AID specifically to these other sites.  This project will not be concluded during one rotation, but could be initiated and will be an excellent thesis project.

Office: S5-109
Phone: 508-856-4100
E-mail: Janet.Stavnezer@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Immunology, DNA Recombination, B Cell Lymphoma, Genomics, DNA Repair

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Postdoctoral Position Available Please contact Dr. Stavnezer directly for more information regarding post-doctoral positions that are available.