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  • RESEARCH

     

    Regulatory DNA encodes the gene regulatory networks that are required for virtually every process in an a nimal, from development to immunity. The Wunderlich lab is interested in understanding how a gene regulatory network's tasks influence its architecture, robustness, and evolvability. To probe these questions, we use two model systems: the Drosophila early embryonic patterning system and the Drosophila innate immune response. In both systems, we pair imaging-based and genomic measurements of gene expression with statistical and physically-based computational models to explore questions of gene regulatory network function. We exploit naturally-occuring sequence variation between individuals and species as a tool to measure how changes in regulatory DNA affect transcriptional regulation.

     

  • OPPORTUNITIES

    The Wunderlich lab is looking for enthusiastic students and post docs to join the lab.

     

    Graduate Students

    Graduate students must be part of one of BU's graduate programs, e.g. the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Biology, Bioinformatics, or BME programs.

     

    Postdoctoral Fellows

    Applicants interested in postdoctoral fellowship positions can send a CV and cover letter describing your previous research experience and future research interests, including why you are interested in the lab, to Zeba.

     

    Undergraduate Students

    Undergraduates interested in studies of gene regulation should contact Zeba to discuss possible projects.

  • PEOPLE

    Zeba Wunderlich

    Assistant Professor

    PhD, Biophysics, Harvard University

    BA, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Statistics, Rutgers University

    Kevin Cabrera

    PhD Student

    BS, Biology, BA, Chemistry, Florida International University

    Lianne Cohen

    Post-doctoral Fellow

    PhD, Biology, UCSD

    BS, Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University

    Jillian Ness

    PhD Student

    BS, MS, Purdue University

    Olivia Gibson

    Undergraduate Student

    Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Genetics

    Noshin Nawar

    PhD Student

    BS, Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

    Julia Gibbs

    PhD Student

    BS, Biological Sciences; BA, English Literature, University of Pittsburgh

    Antonio Serrato-Capuchina

    Post-doctoral Fellow

    PhD, Ecology and Evolution of Organismal Biology; BS, Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

    Christian Mei

    Undergraduate Student

    Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Genetics

    Demi Ring

    Undergraduate Student

    Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Genetics

  • ALUMNI

    Ila Rosen

    Undergraduate Student, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Genetics, 2021-2022

    Bryan Ramirez-Corona, PhD

    PhD Student, Developmental and Cell Biology, 2016-2021

    Rachel Waymack, PhD

    PhD Student, Developmental and Cell Biology, 2017-2021, now a post-doc at the USDA

    Lily Li, PhD

    PhD Student, Developmental and Cell Biology, 2015-2021, now a post-doc at UVA

    Oluchi Ofoegbu

    Undergraduate Student, 2019-2021, now a PhD student at USC

    Ariana Lee

    Junior Specialist, 2020-2021, now a Master's student at CSU Long Beach

    Duncan Hoard

    Undergraduate Student, 2020-2021

    Sima Tahmouresie

    Undergraduate Student, 2020-2021

    Aman Burji

    Undergraduate Student, 2020-2021, now a MPH student at UCLA

    Vinay Kumar

    Research Assistant, 2019-2020

    Mario Gad

    Junior Specialist, 2019-2020, now at UCSF School of Dentistry

    Phoebe Cao

    High School Student, Summer 2019, now an undergraduate at Emory University

    Stephanie Fruth

    Undergraduate Student, Public Health Sciences, 2017-2019, now at Thermo Fisher Scientific

    Subhapradha Rangarajan

    Research Assistant, 2017-2018, now at Western University of Health Sciences

    Arash Abiri

    Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Engineering, 2016-2017, now in UCI MD/PhD program

    Flo Ramirez

    Undergraduate Student, Genetics and Anthropology, 2015-2016, now at the Vincent J Coates Genomics Sequencing Lab at UC Berkeley

    Punya Narayan

    Masters Student, Biotechnology Management, 2016-2017, now at BD Biosciences

    Marley Hilleger

    Masters Student, Developmental and Cell Biology, 2015-2017

  • SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

    For an up-to-date and complete list of publications, see Google Scholar.

    Longitudinal monitoring of individual infection progression in Drosophila melanogaster

    BA Ramirez-Corona, A Love, S Chandrasekan, JA Prescher, Z Wunderlich. iScience. (accepted).

    Molecular competition can shape enhancer activity in the Drosophila embryo

    R Waymack, M Gad, Z Wunderlich. iScience. (2021).

    Two promoters integrate multiple enhancer inputs to drive wild-type knirps expression in the D. melanogaster embryo

    L Li, R Waymack, M Gad, Z Wunderlich. Genetics. (2021).

    The mode of expression divergence in Drosophila fat body is infection-specific

    BA Ramirez-Corona, SM Fruth, O Ofoegbu, Z Wunderlich. Genome Research. (2021).

     

     

    Enhancer redundancy in development and disease

    EZ Kvon, R Waymack, M Gad, Z Wunderlich. Nature Reviews Genetics. (2021).

    A mutation in the Drosophila melanogaster eve stripe 2 minimal enhancer is buffered by flanking sequences

    F Lopez-Rivera, OK Foster, BJ Vincent, ECG Pym, MDJ Bragdon, J Estrada, AH DePace, Z Wunderlich. G3. (2020).

    Shadow enhancers can suppress input transcription factor noise through distinct regulatory logic

    R Waymack, A Fletcher, G Enciso, Z Wunderlich. eLife. (2020).

    Quantitative comparison of the anterior-posterior patterning system in the embryos of five Drosophila species.

    Z Wunderlich, CC Fowlkes, KB Eckenrode, MDJ Bragdon, A Abiri, AH DePace. G3. (2019).

    An enhancer's length and composition are shaped by its regulatory task.

    L Li, Z Wunderlich. Frontiers in Genetics. (2017).

    Krüppel Expression Levels Are Maintained through Compensatory Evolution of Shadow Enhancers

    Z Wunderlich, M DJ Bragdon, BJ Vincent, JA White, J Estrada, AH DePace. Cell Reports. (2015).

     

    Selected older works:

    Z Wunderlich, MD Bragdon, K Eckenrode, T Martin, S Pearl, and AH DePace. Dissecting sources of quantitative gene expression pattern divergence between Drosophila species. Molecular Systems Biology. (2012).

     

    Z Wunderlich, AH DePace. Modeling transcriptional networks in Drosophila development at multiple scales. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development. (2011).

     

    Z Wunderlich, LA Mirny. Different gene regulation strategies revealed by analysis of binding motifs. Trends in Genetics. (2009).

     

    Z Wunderlich, LA Mirny. Using genome-wide measurements for computational prediction of SH2-peptide interactions. Nucleic Acids Research. (2009).

     

    Z Wunderlich, LA Mirny. Spatial effects on the speed and reliability of protein-DNA search. Nucleic Acids Research. (2008).

     

    G Kolesov*, Z Wunderlich*, ON Laikova, MS Gelfand, LA Mirny. How gene order is influenced by the biophysics of transcription regulation. PNAS. (2007).

     

    Z Wunderlich and LA Mirny. Using topology of the metabolic network to predict viability of mutant strains. Biophysical Journal. (2006).

  • CONTACT US

    Email

     

    zeba[at]bu[dot]edu

    Call

     

    617-353-3833

    Write

     

    Lab: Room 621

    Office: Room 605B

    610 Commonwealth Ave.

    Boston, MA 02215

    Visit

     

    Directions to campus are here.

     

    Tweet

     

    @zebabw

Boston University / Department of Biology / Biological Design Center

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