Seth A. Darst

RNA, the blueprint for proteins, is made in all cells by a complex molecular machine, the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase through a process called transcription. My research explores the mechanism and regulation of transcription, primarily in bacteria. We determine the three-dimensional structures of RNA polymerase and other associated proteins using X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy. We combine these studies with biophysical, biochemical, and genetic approaches to understand how transcription and, by extension, gene expression are controlled.