Hosted by the Lambda Lunch Abstract Transposable elements are discreet pieces of DNA that move between non-homologous positions in genomes.
Transposable elements are widespread, having been found in virtually all organisms examined.
The movement of such elements plays a central role in viral replication, the dissemination of antibiotic resistance determinants, mutagenesis, and genome structure. Our work is focused on understanding the transposon Tn7 through genetic, biochemical and structural approaches. A particularly interesting feature of Tn7 is its ability to discriminate among different classes of target sites. Dissection of the protein-nucleic acid machine involved in Tn7 transposition also provides insight into other processes using such machines.