Professor

Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, School of Medicine
Director, Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences

Research Overview

Research in my laboratory is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms and cellular functions of multisubunit assemblies that control the organization, preservation, and flow of genetic information. We are particularly interested in developing atomic-level models that explain how chemical energy is transduced into force and motion, and how dynamic assemblies control DNA replication, gene expression, chromosome superstructure, and other essential nucleic-acid transactions.

The group’s approach relies on a blend of structural, biochemical, and biophysical methods to define the architecture, function, evolution, and regulation of biological complexes. X-ray crystallography and traditional biochemistry have traditionally formed the core of our methodology; however, we are increasingly merging these tools with single-molecule, chemical biological, electron microscopic, and proteomic approaches.

Ongoing project areas are focused on replication initiation mechanisms, molecular control of DNA superstructure, ring ATPase assembly and mechanism, and applied and translational research.

Biophysics and Structural Biology | Cancer Biology | Chemical Biology and Proteomics 

Selected Publications

Bandak AF, Blower TR, Nitiss KC, Gupta R, Lau AY, Guha R, Nitiss JL, Berger JM. Naturally mutagenic sequence diversity in a human type II topoisomerase. PNAS, 2023.

Jeong J, Lee JH, Carcamo CC, Parker MW, Berger JM. DNA-Stimulated Liquid-Liquid phase separation by eukaryotic topoisomerase II modulates catalytic function. eLife, 2022.

Puri N, Fernandez AJ, O'Shea Murray VL, McMillan S, Keck JL, Berger JM. The molecular coupling between substrate recognition and ATP turnover in a AAA+ hexameric helicase loader. eLife, 2021.

Lee JH, Mosher EP, Lee YS, Bumpus NN, Berger JM. Control of topoisomerase II activity and chemotherapeutic inhibition by TCA cycle metabolites. Cell Chemical Biology, 2022.

Arias-Palomo E*, Puri N, O'Shea Murray VL, Yan Q, Berger JM*. Physical Basis for the Loading of a Bacterial Replicative Helicase onto DNA. Molecular Cell, 2019. *co-corresponding authors

Learn More

NCBI Bibliography | Faculty profile | Lab Website