Faculty Profile

Sean M. Burgess
Associate Professor
Molecular and Cellular Biology (College of Biological Sciences)
132 Briggs Hall
Office (530)754-5177
Lab (530)754-5182
smburgess@ucdavis.edu
http://www.mcb.ucdavis.edu/faculty-labs/burgess/
[Picture of Sean M. Burgess]

Degrees:
1999 - - Post-doctoral Fellow - Harvard University- Molecular and Cellular Biology
1993 - PhD - University of California, San Francisco - Genetics
1987 - BA - University of Colorado, Boulder - Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology

Awards:
Helen Hay Whitney Post-doctoral Research Fellowship, 1993-1996
Science Scholar, Bunting Institute, Harvard University 1996-1998
Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Young Investigator Award, 2000-2002
American Cancer Society Research Scholar 2001-2004

Department and Center Affiliations:
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
UC Davis Cancer Center

Professional Societies:
Genetics Society of America

Grad Group Affiliations and Specialties:
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Genetics

Publications:
Mell, JC, Wienholz BL, Salem AA, and Burgess, SM (2008) Sites of recombination are local determinants of meiotic homolog pairing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 179, 773-784

Mell, JC, Komachi, K, Hughes, O and Burgess, SM (2008) Cooperative interactions between pairs of homologous chromatids during meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 179, 1125-1127

Burgess, S.M. (2007). Use of performance art to teach chromosome biology in large-enrollment genetics courses. GENEtics 4: 2.

Wu, H-Y and Burgess, S.M. (2006). Two distinct surveillance mechanisms monitor meiotic chromosome metabolismm in budding yeast. Current Biol. 16, 2473-2479

Lui DY, Peoples-Holst TL, Mell JC, Wu HY, Dean E, Burgess SM. (2006). Analysis of close stable homolog juxtaposition during meiosis in mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 173:1207-22

Wu, H-Y and Burgess, S.M. (2006) Ndj1, a telomere associated protein, promotes meiotic recombination in budding yeast. Molecular and Cellular Biology 26: 3683.

Peoples-Holst, T.L. and Burgess, S.M. (2005). Multiple branches of the meiotic recombination pathway contribute independently to homolog pairing and stable juxtaposition during meiosis in budding yeast. Genes & Development 19: 863-874.

Burgess, S.M. (2004) Homolog Pairing in S. pombe; The Ends Are the Means. Molecular Cell 13:766- 768.

Mell, J.C. and Burgess, S.M. (2003) Yeast as a Model Genetic Organism. In: Nature Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, London: Nature Publishing Group, http://www.els.net/doi:10.1038/npg.els.0000821

Peoples TL, Dean EW, Gonzalez O, Lambourne L and SM Burgess. (2002). Close, stable homolog juxtaposition during meiosis in budding yeast is dependent on meiotic recombination, occurs independent of synapsis and is distinct from DSB-independent pairing contacts. Genes & Development. 16: 1682-1695

Burgess, SM (2002). Homologous chromosome associations and nuclear organization in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In: "Homology Effects". Advances in Genetics (v46). Academic Press. San Diego:49-90

Burgess, SM and N Kleckner (1999). Collisions between yeast chromosomal loci in vivo are governed by three layers of organization. Genes & Development. 13:1871-1883

Burgess, S.M., Kleckner, N. and Weiner, B. (1999). Somatic pairing of homologs in budding yeast: Existence and modulation. Genes & Development . 13:1627-41.

Burgess, S.M., Ajimura, M., and Kleckner, N. (1999). Gcn5-dependent histone H3 acetylation and Rpd3-dependent histone H4 deacetylation have distinct, opposing effects on IME2 transcription, during meiosis and during vegetative growth, in budding yeast. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA . 96:6835-40.

Burgess, S.M. and Guthrie, C. (1993). Beat the clock: Paradigms for NTPases in the maintenance of biological fidelity. Trends in Biochem. Sci. 18: 381-384.

Burgess, S.M. and Guthrie, C. (1993). A mechanism to enhance mRNA splicing Fidelity: The RNA-dependent ATPase Prp16 governs the use of a discard pathway for aberrant lariat intermediates. Cell 73, 1377-1391.

Burgess. S., Couto, J. and Guthrie, C. (1990). A putative ATP-binding protein influences the fidelity of branchpoint recognition in yeast splicing. Cell 60, 705-717.

Wood, W., Trent, C., Meneely, P., Manser, J. and Burgess, S. (1987).Control of X-chromosome expression and sex determination in embryos of Caenorhabditis elegans. In: Genetic Regulation in Development. R. Liss and Co. pp. 191-199.

Jefferson, R.A., Burgess, S.M. and Hirsh, D. (1986). Beta-glucuronidase from Escherichia coli as a gene-fusion marker. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 83: 8447-8451.

Research Interests:
The focus of work in my laboratory is to understand the dynamic nature of chromosomes during meiosis in budding yeast. We are interested in relationship between events associated with the pairing and recombination of homologous chromosomes and the organization of chromosomal elements, including telomeres and centromeres, in the nucleus.

Laboratory Personnel:
139 Briggs Hall - Doris Lui-Graduate student (BMB) Dan Ohde- Graduate student (BMB) Hsuan-Chung Ho- Graduate student (BMB) Daniel Chu (GGG) John Perea- Junior Specialist
http://www.mcb.ucdavis.edu/faculty-labs/burgess/

Teaching Interests:


Genetics and Molecular Biology

Courses Taught:
MCB 164 Advanced Eukaryotic Genetics - Term(s): Spring
MCB 121 Molecular Biology of Eukaryotic Cells - Term(s): Winter
MCB 138 Seminar- Molecular biology of aging - Term(s): Winter