UVM researchers
    are addressing
    basic questions
    in biology at
    the molecular,
    cellular, organism,
    and ecosystem levels.
Understanding the unique aspects of legume roots that allows them to form nitrogen-fixing nodules may lead to improving the ability of non-legumes to grow in the absence of commercial fertilizer.

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    • UVM faculty and staff are ...

    in MICROBIOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY (10 projects) >>> Learn More

  • determining factors that control the function of root cells necessary to maintain plant nutrition and water status
  • characterizing features of root cell wall structure important for interactions with soil microbes
  • identifying proteins that are targets for new drugs for the treatment of microbial parasites
  • investigating the molecular mechanisms that periodontal disease bacteria use to colonize their surroundings
  • studying the ways that microbial cell growth is controlled
  • determining cellular factors critical for HIV-1 replication to prevent viral spread and disease onset
  • determining the mechanism by which stem cells can produce different tissues during development
  • determining how microbial cells use chemical signals to communicate with one another
  • identifying the genetic changes that lead to the development of new crop species from wild plant relatives
  • examining the expression of root genes necessary to form nitrogen fixing nodules with symbiotic bacteria

    in MOLECULAR GENETICS (11 projects) >>> Learn More
  • providing clues to the roles of DNA damage in cancer and aging
  • providing insight into how DNA repair enzymes recognize and repair a broad array of damaged DNA
  • determining the molecular mechanisms that ensure faithful transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next
  • providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underpinning cancer and other human diseases
  • studying how the enzymes that synthesize RNA operate
  • working to understand the basic mechanisms of how genetic machinery processes RNA in cells
  • examining how RNA folds into a three -dimensional structure to become an active enzyme
  • determining whether or not RNA molecules that display enzymatic activity can be developed into effective antiviral therapeutic agents

    • Dr. Susan Wallace and Research Associate Vishy Bandaru discuss the results from an autoradiogram showing the activity of a novel DNA repair enzyme isolated in their lab.

    in RESEARCH SUPPORT (2 projects) >>> Learn More

  • developing and hosting web programs for all land-grant institutions to submit and manage required research documentation for USDA's online Current Research Information System
  • supporting career development of young faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows in molecular genetics.