The Sarnow Lab
Our lab studies genetic effects on gene regulation and gene expression to identify the molecular and cellular mechanisms which define human traits. We are interested in virus-host interactions and the mechanisms of cellular and viral translation. Much of our work has focused on translation initiation via both viral and cellular internal ribosomal entry sites (IRES’s).
More recently however, we have begun to investigate how microRNAs regulate gene expression in mammalian cells. Although our interests encompass a variety of fields, some of the specific questions we are asking include:
• What kinds of specialized translation exist in the cell?
• How do microRNAs work?
• What are the biological roles of microRNAs?
• What is the role of miR-122 in the Hepatitis C virus life cycle?
• How do viruses usurp the host cell?