E2F transcription factors were originally identified as regulators of cell cycle and cellular proliferation. In vivo mouse models have uncovered novel roles for these proteins in different developmental processes. This ...

In this thesis, I provide quantitative descriptions of toothed whale echolocation and foraging behavior, including assessment of the effects of noise on foraging behavior and the potential influence of ocean acoustic ...

Microbial secondary metabolites are among the most structurally and functionally complex molecules in nature. Lanthipeptides are ribosomally derived peptide secondary metabolites that undergo extensive post-translational ...

Marine thecate heterotrophic dinoflagellates likely play an important role in the consumption of primary productivity and in the trophic structure of the plankton, yet we know little about these species. This thesis expanded ...

In budding yeast, aneuploidy has a detrimental effect in cell growth and proliferation. The work presented here shows that most aneuploid yeast strains delay cell cycle entry by increasing the critical size for budding and ...

The Par system contributes to stable inheritance of plasmids and chromosomes in diverse bacterial species. Faithful chromosome partitioning is important to dividing cells because anucleate, or chromosomeless, cells are not ...

Nervous system development is a complex morphogenetic process. Cell migration, axon guidance and many other regulated cell shape changes build a functional nervous system. These processes depend upon regulation of the actin ...

Co-evolution of pathogen and host helps drive biological diversity. Unlike viral-host interactions, little is known about the co-evolution of eukaryotic pathogens with their hosts. The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma ...

Hydrothermal vents and coral ecosystems are conspicuous biological hot spots in the deep-sea. These ecosystems face increasing threats from human activities. Having thorough taxonomic inventories as well as understanding ...