Max Boeck

Certificate in Genetics and Genomics Program Director

Dr. Boeck focuses on trying to understand how the dynamic interaction of proteins and DNA determine the fundamental phenotypes and cell fates of organisms. While the information contained within the genome is static, the physical genome itself is a dynamic molecule, moving and changing in response to internal and external cues. These dynamics are dictated by the binding of proteins such as transcription factors and histones. Scientists are excellent at predicting where and when proteins bind to DNA. These predictions are, however, snapshots, do not reflect the true dynamics of the genome and are not good predictors of function. Dr. Boeck’s lab aims to examine the “moving picture” of DNA-protein interactions in an effort to improve our predictions of functional protein-DNA interactions. His lab focuses on the model organisms Saccharomyces Cerevisiae and Caenorhabditis Elegans.