Hahn, Steven

The two major research areas in our laboratory are: (i) the mechanism of transcription initiation, and (ii) mechanisms used by factors that activate transcription.  We use a multi disciplinary approach including biochemical, molecular, genetic, structural, and biophysical methods to uncover new mechanisms used in gene regulation.  Much of our work uses new technologies and approaches to understand the action of large protein complexes, which are often regulated by surprisingly flexible and dynamic protein-protein interactions.  These new approaches are also adaptable for understanding the architecture, conformational changes and mechanisms of large protein and protein-DNA complexes involved in other cellular processes.

We use S. cerevisiae (budding yeast) as our experimental system because of the powerful mix of biochemistry and genetics approaches available.  Since the transcription machinery and its regulatory factors are well conserved throughout evolution, gene regulatory mechanisms in yeast are nearly always used in mammalian cells. These mechanisms form the molecular basis for understanding regulated and rate-limiting steps that are at the endpoint of pathways controlling cell growth, development and stress response.