Biosketch

Charles Boone received his Ph.D. in molecular biology from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He then did postdoctoral research in yeast genetics at the Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, in Eugene. He is currently Professor at the University of Toronto’s Donnelly Centre and the Department of Molecular Genetics. He also has an appointment as a team leader in Chemical Genetics in the Centre For Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, Japan. He received the Genetics Society of America (GSA) Edward Novitski Prize, for creativity in genetics, the Ira Herskowitz Award for outstanding contributions to yeast genetics, and the Emil Christian Hansen Award for Microbiology.

Research Interests

Dr. Boone’s lab focuses on the development and application of functional genomics approaches in yeast. One of his main projects involves the large-scale application of an automated form of yeast genetics, synthetic genetic array (SGA) analysis, testing all possible 18 million pairs of yeast genes for genetic interactions, and the mapping of a global yeast genetic interaction network. This network serves as a key for defining gene function and identifying functional connections between genes and their corresponding pathways. The global yeast genetic interaction network also provides a template for interpreting chemical-genetic profiles and linking bioactive compounds to their target pathways. Dr. Boone is also applying a genome-scale CRISPR-based approach for mapping genetic networks in human cells, and developing new computational methods for identifying genetic modifiers in the context of human genotype data.

Membership Type

International Member

Election Year

2024

Primary Section

Section 26: Genetics