Lab Members
Blaine Bartholomew, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
B.S in Chemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of California, Davis
Sarita Bhetawal
Research Assistant II
Education:
B.S. in Biotechnology and Biochemistry, Minnesota State University, Mankato
M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington/UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Sandipan Brahma, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Originally from Kolkata (Calcutta), India
Education:
B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Microbiology from the University of Calcutta.
Ph.D. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
Research interests: Using chemical biology approaches to understand how different remodeling complexes interact with DNA in the context of nucleosomes and to decipher the ISWI mechanism of remodeling.
Other interests: I am a musician and passionate about food and cooking!
Soumyadipta (Sam) Kundu, Ph.D.
Research Assistant II
Education:
B.Tech in Biotechnology, West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata, India.
Ph.D. Southern Illiniois University.
Research interests: Mapping chromatin remodeler–nucleosome interactions by conjugating photocrosslinkers to specific residues on the exposed octamer surface in order to identify remodeler subunits that interact with the octamer. In vitro and in vivo roles of distinct domains in the catalytic subunit of SWI/SNF (Snf2).
Arjan Hada
Graduate Student
Originally from Nepal
Education:
B.tech in Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Nepal
Research interests: Mechanism of nucleosome remodeling by ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers.
Solomon G. Hailu
Graduate Student
Originally from Eritrea, East Africa
Education:
B.Sc. in Biology (Graduated with Distinction), University of Asmara, Asmara, Eritrea
M.Sc. in Zoology (Population Genetics), Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Research interests: Molecular mechanisms governing chromatin remodeling complexes (SWI/SNF and ISWI) and how they regulate transcription invivo using biochemical, genetic, genomic and bioinformatic approaches.
Other interests: Latin music and salsa dancing, architecture and computer programming.
Yuan-Chi (Irene) Lin
Graduate Student
Education:
M.S. in Molecular Biology, University of Southern Mississippi
Research interests: Roles the ISW2 catalytic subunit's C-terminal domains in nucleosome remodeling in yeast.
Ngbuo Mzwanele
Postdoctoral Fellow
Education:
B.Sc. in Microbial Biotechnology, University of the Free State, South Africa
M.Sc. in Biotechnology, University of the Free State, South Africa
Ph.D. in Biochemistry, University of the Free State, South Africa
Somnath Paul
Postdoctoral Fellow
Originally from India
Education:
B.Sc. (Hons) in Physiology from Presidency College, Calcutta
M.Sc. in Genetics from Calcutta University, Kolkata, India
Ph.D. in Life Science and Biotech, Jadavpur University via CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata
Research interest: To understand the regulation of higher order chromatin remodeling by principles of epigenetics.
Jim Persinger, Jr.
Research Laboratory Manager
B.A. in Biology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Huan Meng
Postdotoral Fellow
(not pictured)