Research Expertise and Interest

gametogenesis, biology of aging, gene regulation, genetics, genomics and development

Research Description

Elçin Ünal is an associate professor in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology. Her lab is interested in understanding the principles and regulation of gametogenesis, which is a conserved developmental program that creates life for the next generation by forming reproductive cells called gametes. Because gametogenesis involves complete cellular remodeling and contains endogenous pathways that prevent age-associated damage from being passed onto progeny, mechanistic dissection of this program offers unique insights into the biology of aging, cellular differentiation and quality control. Using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a primary model system, they study gametogenesis in the context of aging and gene regulation, with the aim of understanding how the meiotic gene expression program regulates specialized processes including cellular rejuvenation, organelle remodeling and quality control and how meiotic cells ensure that age-associated damage such as protein aggregates and dysfunctional organelles are prevented from being transmitted to subsequent progeny. They further extend their studies to multicellular and human cell line systems with an eye on therapeutic potential of our findings. Together, their studies aim to provide a mechanistic understanding of meiotic rejuvenation at the molecular and cellular level and reveal pathways that can be leveraged to counteract cellular aging in a somatic context.