Biochemistry research in the Mullen Davis lab focuses on how organisms respond to changing environmental conditions. We use model systems to study gene regulation by transcription factors (in E. coli) and by non-coding RNAs (in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana) in response to changing temperature, nutrient availability, oxidative stress, and other abiotic stress conditions. We are interested in transcription factor structure, interactions with small molecule effectors, and how transcription factor activity affects transcript levels of target genes after stress exposure.
