Dernburg Lab

Our group investigates chromosome organization and dynamics. We focus on meiosis, the specialized cell division process that enables eukaryotes to create haploid reproductive cells (sperm, eggs, pollen, or spores). Meiotic mechanisms shape eukaryotic evolution and diversity. Errors in meiosis underlie chromosomal birth defects such as Down Syndrome in humans. They also contribute to infertility, especially among older women. Successful meiosis depends on the execution of a unique series of chromosome interactions: chromosomes must pair and synapse with their homologous partners; paired homologous chromosomes exchange DNA sequences through homologous recombination. Meiotic recombination gives rise to genetic diversity, and also creates physical links between chromosomes that enable them to segregate away from each other. We seek to understand the mechanisms that control chromosome pairing, synapsis, and recombination, using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as our primary model organism. This experimental system has major experimental advantages, including rapid and powerful genetics, robust genome editing, outstanding cytology, and the opportunity to directly observe meiosis through in vivo imaging. We have also investigated the evolution and plasticity of meiosis by comparing these events in C. elegans to other nematodes, such as Pristionchus pacificus.