We study how protein intrinsic disorder and post-translational modifications regulate the genome


RESEARCH INTERESTS
Our goal to understand how the eukaryotic genome is packaged with histones into chromatin and how chromatin is propagated, expressed, and those transcripts spliced into mature gene transcripts. 

To improve our basic understanding of biology, human disease, and also to develop new therapeutic approaches, we aim to understand how these processes work and how they are regulated by the cell. Our studies are critically important for understanding diseases such as lung cancer and leukemia, and have wide-ranging implications for human development and neuroscience.  Our current primary research interests are currently in the basic biochemistry, cell biology, and cancer biology of: 

  • Protein Arginine Methyltransferases (PRMTs1-9), their protein substrates, and the "readers" of methylarginine
  • Small molecule methyltransferases in cancer (GNMT, glycine N-methyltransferase regulation of SAM abundance in metastatic prostate cancer)
  • Histone chaperone proteins (NPM1, NPM2, and NAP1) and structural and molecular mechanisms of their intrinsically disordered regions
  • Chaperone post-translational glutamylation and deglutamylation by the TTLL and CCP protein families
NEWS
2023 We welcome Aliza Silverstein (MSTP student) to the lab for a summer rotation
2023 Congratulations to Maxim Maron for matching for residency at the Weill-Cornell PSTP 
2022
We welcome Isaac Krasnopolsky (MSTP student) to the lab to conduct his thesis research 
2022 We received our Keyence BZ-X800 all-in-one microscope
2022 David and Kira won second prize in the inaugural  Einstein VC Pitch contest
2021 Humaira Ilyas arrived in the lab as a postdoctoral research fellow 
2021 Maxim Maron successfully defended his thesis!
2021 Ben Lorton successfully defended his thesis!
2021 Isaac Krasnopolsky had a great rotation in the lab
2021 We welcome Jacob Roth (MSTP student) to the lab to conduct his thesis research
2021 David was selected for an Irma T. Hirschl Career Development Award (2021-2025)
2021 We were selected to be funded by the DoD Cancer Research program Idea Award (with Gritsman lab)
2020 Check out the new New York City wide chromatinclub: www.nycchromatinclub.org
2020 Joseph DeAngelo (MSTP) joined the lab for his thesis research
2020 Our preprint on PRMTs, methylarginine mass spectrometry, and the proteome and transcriptome is online - link 
2020 Benjamin Lorton publishes a paper in Biochemistry (with the cover image pending!) - link
2020 Christopher Warren publishes a paper in Acta Crystollographica F - link
2020 A new NIH/NIGMS grant (R01GM135614) was awarded to the lab to study histone chaperone glutamylation
. . .
2009 Lab founded
GRANTS
Current:

R01GM108646 NIGMS/NIH “Crosstalk to Histone Arginine Methylation”  (1/2014 - 8/2023)
R01GM135614 NIGMS/NIH “Regulation of Histone Chaperone Function by Glutamylation”  (1/2020-12/2023)

CA200503 DoD "NPM1c Post-Translational Glutamylation in Keukemogenesis" (9/2021-8/2024)

R01GM108646 NIGMS/NIH Equipment supplement to purchase an all-in-one microscope 
Irma T. Hirschl Career Development Award (2021-2025)

Prior:
Company sponsored research (10/2020-10/2021)

Alexandrine and Alexander Sinsheimer Foundation Research Scholar (2011-2014)

American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award (2014-2017)
SAS Foundation for Cancer Research (2018)
American Lung Association Discovery Award (2018-2020) 
NIGMS/NIH Equipment (SPR and AKTA) and administrative supplements
Startup funds from Albert Einstein College of Medicin
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CONTACT US

Department of Biochemistry 
Albert Einstein College of Medicine 
Forchheimer 304 
1300 Morris Park Avenue 
Bronx, NY 10461  USA