Education
- PhD, 2002, Stanford University
- BS, 1997, Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego
Research Summary
We study the biological mechanisms and evolution of how cells process information to regulate their own growth and proliferation. Using bacteria as a model organism, we aim to elucidate the detailed molecular basis for this remarkable regulatory capability, and understand the selective pressures and mechanisms that drive the evolution of signaling pathways. Our work is rooted in a desire to develop a deeper, fundamental understanding of how cells function and evolve, but it also has important medical implications since many signaling pathways in pathogenic bacteria are needed for virulence.Awards
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, HHMI Investigator, 2015
- National Science Foundation, Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, 2010
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Early Career Scientist, 2009
Key Publications
- Evolving new protein-protein interaction specificity through promiscuous intermediates. Aakre, CD, Herrou, J, Phung, TN, Perchuk, BS, Crosson, S, Laub, MT. 2015. Cell 163, 594-606.
doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.09.055PMID:26478181 - Protein evolution. Pervasive degeneracy and epistasis in a protein-protein interface. Podgornaia, AI, Laub, MT. 2015. Science 347, 673-7.
doi: 10.1126/science.1257360PMID:25657251 - A bacterial toxin inhibits DNA replication elongation through a direct interaction with the β sliding clamp. Aakre, CD, Phung, TN, Huang, D, Laub, MT. 2013. Mol Cell 52, 617-28.
doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2013.10.014PMID:24239291 - High-resolution mapping of the spatial organization of a bacterial chromosome. Le, TB, Imakaev, MV, Mirny, LA, Laub, MT. 2013. Science 342, 731-4.
doi: 10.1126/science.1242059PMID:24158908 - Adaptive mutations that prevent crosstalk enable the expansion of paralogous signaling protein families. Capra, EJ, Perchuk, BS, Skerker, JM, Laub, MT. 2012. Cell 150, 222-32.
doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.05.033PMID:22770222
Recent Publications
- ppGpp Coordinates Nucleotide and Amino-Acid Synthesis in E. coli During Starvation. Wang, B, Grant, RA, Laub, MT. 2020. Mol Cell 80, 29-42.e10.
doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.08.005PMID:32857952 - Stress Can Induce Transcription of Toxin-Antitoxin Systems without Activating Toxin. LeRoux, M, Culviner, PH, Liu, YJ, Littlehale, ML, Laub, MT. 2020. Mol Cell 79, 280-292.e8.
doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.05.028PMID:32533919 - Constraints on the expansion of paralogous protein families. McClune, CJ, Laub, MT. 2020. Curr Biol 30, R460-R464.
doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.02.075PMID:32428482 - A Simple, Cost-Effective, and Robust Method for rRNA Depletion in RNA-Sequencing Studies. Culviner, PH, Guegler, CK, Laub, MT. 2020. mBio 11, .
doi: 10.1128/mBio.00010-20PMID:32317317 - A CRISPR Interference System for Efficient and Rapid Gene Knockdown in Caulobacter crescentus. Guzzo, M, Castro, LK, Reisch, CR, Guo, MS, Laub, MT. 2020. mBio 11, .
doi: 10.1128/mBio.02415-19PMID:31937638 - Engineering orthogonal signalling pathways reveals the sparse occupancy of sequence space. McClune, CJ, Alvarez-Buylla, A, Voigt, CA, Laub, MT. 2019. Nature 574, 702-706.
doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1639-8PMID:31645757 - The Stringent Response Inhibits DNA Replication Initiation in E. coli by Modulating Supercoiling of oriC. Kraemer, JA, Sanderlin, AG, Laub, MT. 2019. mBio 10, .
doi: 10.1128/mBio.01330-19PMID:31266875 - Concerns about "Stress-Induced MazF-Mediated Proteins in Escherichia coli". Wade, JT, Laub, MT. 2019. mBio 10, .
doi: 10.1128/mBio.00825-19PMID:31164463 - Author Correction: Affinity-based capture and identification of protein effectors of the growth regulator ppGpp. Wang, B, Dai, P, Ding, D, Del Rosario, A, Grant, RA, Pentelute, BL, Laub, MT. 2019. Nat Chem Biol 15, 756.
doi: 10.1038/s41589-019-0296-4PMID:31076737 - Mechanisms of Resistance to the Contact-Dependent Bacteriocin CdzC/D in Caulobacter crescentus. García-Bayona, L, Gozzi, K, Laub, MT. 2019. J Bacteriol 201, .
doi: 10.1128/JB.00538-18PMID:30692171