Molecular Biology is a fundamental area of investigative research in Biology that employs new technologies and experimental approaches to examine fundamental processes in all living organisms. In the course of these investigations, we use wide variety of model organisms, including mice, guinea pigs, human tissue cell cultures, the nematode species Caenorhabditis elegans, the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, model bacteria and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The research is of immediate relevance to human health in many areas including cancer, inherited genetic diseases and disease resistance, DNA repair, and neurosystem development and function. We welcome strong applicants as undergraduate researchers, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
According to Canadian Cancer Society, cancer is the leading cause of premature death in Canada and an estimated one out of every four Canadians is expected to die from cancer. An underlying hallmark of cancer is genome instability, which can arise from the disruption of telomere maintenance. The Zhu laboratory is interested in elucidating the molecular mechanism by which human cells maintain their telomere integrity. Knowledge gained from these studies is expected to aid in the design of anti-cancer therapeutics and treatment of cancer patients. Currently the Zhu laboratory focuses on two research areas relevant to telomere maintenance and genome integrity: 1. Elucidating the role of post-translational modifications in telomere maintenance. 2. Elucidating the functional interaction between shelterin proteins and accessary factors.
Cell and Developmental Biology; Genetics & Molecular Biology
