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David MacAlpine's laboratory is focused on understanding the mechanisms of the molecular architecture of chromosomes and how they regulate fundamental biological processes such as replication and transcription. Using genomic, computational, and biochemical approaches in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, the lab explores the dynamics of DNA replication—an essential event in the cell cycle that requires accurate duplication of chromosomes. It examines the correlation between DNA replication timing and transcriptional activity, particularly how actively transcribed regions of the genome are replicated early. The lab aims to systematically characterize the replication dynamics across different cell types and transcriptional programs, identifying chromosomal features that directly regulate metazoan DNA replication. The origins of DNA replication, marked by the formation of a multi-protein complex known as the preRC, are also a focus, along with characterizing the genetic and epigenetic elements regulating the DNA replication program. David received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and has been awarded multiple NIH grants for various projects related to cancer research.
Department of Biomedical Engineering (MS program)