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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 program or the Biology program. The Wunderlich lab is actively recruiting rotation students for the 2021-2022 academic year. Please email Zeba if you are interested.

       

      Postdoctoral Fellows

      We are accepting applications for a postdoc position in the lab and welcome candidates who are interested in understanding the function of regulatory DNA using a combination of experimental and computational approaches. Applicants 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, Perdue University

      Olivia Gibson

      Undergraduate Student

      Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Genetics

      Ila Rosen

      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

    • ALUMNI

      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

      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. bioRxiv. (preprint).

      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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