Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 2016 B.A.&Sc., Honours Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 2007
My research involves interrogation of large RNA structures (600-3,000 nucleotides) under plausible early earth conditions, including studying the effects of Fe(II) and other cations on the structure of ribosomal RNA. These structure-probing experiments are carried out in an anoxic chamber, simulating the reducing anoxic atmosphere at the time of life’s origins. Previously, I have discovered that our model ancestral ribosomal RNA forms the expected secondary structure, despite excision of ~80% of extant large subunit ribosomal RNA.
Hsiao, C, Lenz, TK, Peters, JK, Fang, PY, Schneider, DM, Anderson, EJ, Preeprem, T, Bowman, JC, O'Neill, EB, Lie, L, Athavale, SS, Gossett, JJ, Trippe, C, Murray, J, Petrov, AS, Wartell, RM, Harvey, SC, Hud, NV, and Williams, LD (2013) "Molecular Paleontology: A Biochemical Model of the Ancestral Ribosome", Nucleic Acids Res. 41, 3373-3385. Bowman, JC, Azizi, B, Lenz, TK, Roy, P, and Williams, LD. (2012) Preparation of Long Templates for RNA in Vitro Transcription by Recursive PCR, in Recombinant and in Vitro RNA Synthesis: Methods and Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology (Conn, G. L., Ed.), pp 19-41, Springer Science, LLC. Bowman, JC, Lenz, TK, Hud, NV, and Williams, LD (2012) "Cations in Charge: Magnesium Ions in RNA Folding and Catalysis ", Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 22, 262-272 [review].