SCIENCE AT THE SHINE DOME canberra 3 - 5 may 2006
New Fellows Seminar
Wednesday, 3 May 2006
Professor Barry Egan
Professor, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide
After completing BSc Hons/MSc studies with Bruce Holloway, Microbiology Department, The University of Melbourne (1958-1959), Barry Egan took up PhD studies with Larry Morse at the Biophysics Department, University of Colorado from 1960 to 1964 and postdoctoral studies with Dave Hogness at the Biochemistry Department, Stanford University from 1964 to 1967. He joined the Biochemistry Department as Senior Lecturer at Adelaide University under leadership of Bill Elliott. There he played a seminal role in the development of molecular biology in the Department, both through his own research but particularly by instituting and coordinating undergraduate and postgraduate educational programs, and evening courses to secondary school science teachers. He was also heavily involved in the introduction of recombinant DNA technology to the Department in 1976. Barry was promoted to Reader in 1984, Professor in 1998, and was Departmental Head in 1993 and Deputy Head from 1989 to 1995. In December 2001 he formally retired and was appointed to his position of Adjunct Professor at the School of Molecular and Biomedical Science.
Inside a bistable genetic switch
Integrated into the genetic circuits of all organisms are switches that control, in response to transient signals, the expression of sets of genes associated with alternative developmental pathways. However, their effective study in multicellular organisms is complicated not only for technical reasons but also by the existence of a large number of interdependent gene regulatory networks. This introduces our interest in characterising the molecular operation of a simple model genetic switch that is experimentally tractable.
There are many experimental advantages associated with studying the genetic networks of viruses infecting the bacterium Escherichia coli. In collaboration with structural biologists and mathematical modellers, we are studying in two unrelated E. coli viruses the genetic switches that allow the choice of entry into a dormant proviral state, or entry into a developmental state actively producing mature viral progeny.
Barry will present the molecular mechanisms that bestow two characteristic properties to these genetic switches: The ability to respond efficiently to a signal via positive feedback, and the ability to stably maintain a developmental state via negative feedback.
