Postdoctoral Research Positions

[Beate Schwer, Ph. D.]

POSTDOC POSITIONS

	Postdoctoral positions are available immediately to study the
processing of  primary transcripts in budding yeast.  In particular, we are
interested in capping and splicing of  RNA.  Messenger RNA processing plays
an important role in regulated expression of eukaryotic genes; it occurs
co-transcriptionally as RNAs are being synthesized by nuclear polymerase
II.
	The earliest modification event is the formation of the m7GpppN
cap.  The RNA cap is important for virtually all aspects of RNA metabolism
(splicing, polyadenylation, nucleo/cytoplasmic transport, translation and
degradation of mRNA).   We seek to understand the mechanism of cap
synthesis and the role of cap in cellular mRNA metabolism using combined
biochemical and genetic approaches.
	Splicing of nuclear RNA occurs in a large ribonucleoprotein
complex, the spliceosome.  Our efforts are aimed at understanding  the
mechanism of splicing at the molecular level; i.e. how do the splicing
factors interact with the spliceosome and how do they function in the
overall reaction ? What is the precise role of ATP in the splicing process
and how are splice sites chosen?  The starting point for our studies is the
RNA-dependent ATPase Prp16 and we use in vitro reconstitution assays to
analyze the Prp16-dependent step in the splicing reaction in great detail.
	If you are interested in this area of research and would like to
live in Manhattan (housing and other benefits are available through
Cornell), please contact me.

Beate Schwer, Ph.D.		e-mail:   bschwer at mail.med.cornell.edu

Department of Microbiology			Tel: 	(212) 746-6518
Cornell University Medical College		Fax:	(212) 746-8587
1300 York Avenue
New York, NY 10021