Department of Biochemistry

Overview

The Department of Biochemistry has several researchers working to further our understanding of systems with potential synthetic biology applications. Steve Oliver's lab predict metabolic gene interaction in yeast, which is essential to engineering novel pathways synthetic biology. Peter Leadlay's group perform detailed functional analysis of novel polyketide natural product gene clusters to explore their potential for synthesising new drugs. Paul Dupree and Chris Howe are involved in the OpenPlant project looking at carbohydrate engineering. The Hollfelder Group has developed lab-on-a-chip systems for the screening of millions of new enzyme catalysts to allow high-throughput screening of synthetic parts.

Contact

Department of Biochemistry
80 Tennis Court Road,
Cambridge
CB2 1GA
01223 333600

Hend Aly

Hend Aly is the new IRC coordinator and Events manager. She has previously worked in various capacities for the United Nations.

She has received interdisciplinary graduate degrees in political science and urban studies.

Dr Ayse Derya Cavga

Dr Ayse Derya Cavga is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Prof. Jussi Taipale in the Department of Biochemistry.

I investigate how transcription factors behave in major forms of cancers using high-throughput SELEX and CUT&RUN methods. My ultimate goal is to propose novel therapies targeting DNA-TF interactions for some of the most devastating forms of cancer such as those of the liver, colorectum, lungs, and ovaries.

Keywords: cancer, transcription, gene regulation

Areas of Expertise: cancer biology, molecular biology, cell biology

Dr Tianyun Hou

Dr Tianyun Hou is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the group of Jussi Taipale in the Department of Biochemistry

Research interests:
1) Developing novel techniques for precise genomic editing.
2) Enhancer and super-enhancer in cancer.
3) Systematically study the principles underlying regulation of gene expression.
4) Aim to predict gene expression.

Areas of Expertise: Gene expression, cancer, enhancer, genomic editing.

Dr Girish Beedessee

Postdoctoral Researcher in the lab of Ross Waller in the Department of Biochemistry

Department of Biochemistry