Cryo-EM and the Dynamics of TFIID and PRC2 (Eva Nogales)

About this episode

Eva Nogales discusses her research on Cryo-EM and the dynamics of TFIID and PRC2, highlighting her academic journey and the importance of visualization in understanding complex biological structures.

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we talked with Eva Nogales from UC Berkeley about her work on Cryo-EM and the Dynamics of TFIID and PRC2. We explore the origins of Dr. Nogales's fascination with biology and how her academic journey shifted from physics into the realms of biophysics and structural biology. She shares the profound impact of her training under physicists who instilled a rigorous, quantitative approach to problem-solving, a perspective that continues to influence her work. The importance of visualization emerges as a central theme, showcasing how critical imagery can foster understanding even amidst complex biological structures. A particular focus of our discussion centers on the transcription factor complex TFIID, a significant milestone in Dr. Nogales's career. She recalls the challenging journey to uncovering its structure for the first time, which involved navigating numerous technical hurdles. Dr. Nogales details how their innovative approaches led to insights about the conformational flexibility and functional dynamics of TFIID, especially in relation to its interactions with DNA during transcription initiation. The richness of this narrative…

People in this episode

Host: Active Motif

Guest: Eva Nogales

Topics covered

• Cryo-EM
• TFIID
• PRC2
• biophysics
• structural biology
• gene silencing
• transcription

Keywords

• Cryo-EM
• TFIID
• PRC2
• biophysics
• structural biology
• gene silencing
• transcription initiation
• chromatin
• scientific discovery
• conformational flexibility

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UC Berkeley, Active Motif

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