Email
njf6@cornell.edu

Research Interests

A promoter-proximal paused transcriptionally engaged RNA polymerase was originally discovered in Drosophila on Hsp70, a heat-inducible chaperone gene (heat shock gene). Since then, many heat shock and several constitutively active genes are occupied by an engaged RNA polymerase paused at their 5’ ends. In the case of Hsp70, this promoter-proximal pausing has been shown to depend on the promoter-proximal DNA sequence as well as protein factors. Two of these factors, DSIF and NELF, have been identified based on previous evidence that these complexes inhibit in vitro transcription in the presence of the kinase inhibitor, DRB. I am interested in identifying other protein factors necessary for establishing and maintaining the paused polymerase. To accomplish, I am using RNAi-depletion of candidate proteins to screen for effects on the paused polymerase at uninduced heat shock genes.

Education

• B.S. in Biology (1993) Syracuse University