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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Atlanta, GA | Posted: August 23, 2016
Summary Sentence:
Francesca Storici Awarded $690,000 Grant
Full Summary:
No summary paragraph submitted.
Francesca StoriciDr. Francesca Storici, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, was awarded $690,000 for a 3 year project to study the mechanisms of RNA-DNA recombination. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Genetic Mechanisms Program in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. Dr. Storici and collaborators recently discovered a novel mechanism of genetic recombination and DNA damage repair via exchange of genetic information from RNA to DNA in budding yeast cells, yet little is known about how this process is activated and regulated. The proposed research will enable mechanistic characterization of this newly discovered phenomenon and describe how RNA participates in DNA repair. The study also will provide important biological insights to better understanding the physiological role of RNA in DNA stability and its impact on genome maintenance and evolution. The work is significant because it will provide molecular understanding how cells repair their DNA and how this process goes wrong in diseases like cancer. The expected discoveries will be integrated into classroom topics and activities for many graduate and undergraduate students. Through the inclusion of a Research Experience for Teachers (RET), the project will engage numerous students from a local, 100%-minority high school in lab experiences, and will support student participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs, particularly in molecular biology.
