Karen E. Kirk
Professor of Biology
Medical Science
lakeforest College
United States of America
Biography
Post-doctoral Fellowship, University of California San Fransisco PhD Molecular Genetics, Rutgers University BS Chemistry, University of Delawae
Research Interest
Our laboratory studies how telomeres, the chromosome termini, are kept intact. We want to understand how the telomerase RNA, which supplies the template for the synthesis of telomeric DNA, functions in regulating telomere length. The telomeres get shorter without this RNA, which is detrimental to all cells, and at a minimum, contributes to cellular aging. Our research is conducted in model organisms that are quick to reproduce and easy to use, like the filamentous fungus Aspergillus, and thus are great for undergraduates.
