Michael Grunstein
Encyclopedia
Michael Grunstein is a Distinguished Professor of Biological Chemistry at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
He obtained his Bachelor of Science
degree from McGill University
in Montreal, and his PhD
from the University of Edinburgh
, Scotland
. He did his post-doctoral training at Stanford University
in Palo Alto, California, where he invented the colony hybridization screening technique for recombinant DNA
s in David Hogness' laboratory.
Soon after coming to UCLA in 1975, Grunstein pioneered the genetic analysis of histones in yeast and showed for the first time that histones are regulators of gene activity in living cells. His studies were among the most influential to counter the prevailing belief in the 1980s that eukaryotic genes, like previously studied bacterial genes, were predominantly subjected to transcriptional activation. His laboratory's studies provided inspiration for the eukaryotic histone code
and underlie the modern study of epigenetics
.
He received the Massry Prize in 2003 (with Roger Kornberg and David Allis). In April 2008, Grunstein was elected into the National Academy of Sciences
.
He obtained his Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal, and his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He did his post-doctoral training at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in Palo Alto, California, where he invented the colony hybridization screening technique for recombinant DNA
Recombinant DNA
Recombinant DNA molecules are DNA sequences that result from the use of laboratory methods to bring together genetic material from multiple sources, creating sequences that would not otherwise be found in biological organisms...
s in David Hogness' laboratory.
Soon after coming to UCLA in 1975, Grunstein pioneered the genetic analysis of histones in yeast and showed for the first time that histones are regulators of gene activity in living cells. His studies were among the most influential to counter the prevailing belief in the 1980s that eukaryotic genes, like previously studied bacterial genes, were predominantly subjected to transcriptional activation. His laboratory's studies provided inspiration for the eukaryotic histone code
Histone code
The histone code is a hypothesis that the transcription of genetic information encoded in DNA is in part regulated by chemical modifications to histone proteins, primarily on their unstructured ends. Together with similar modifications such as DNA methylation it is part of the epigenetic code...
and underlie the modern study of epigenetics
Epigenetics
In biology, and specifically genetics, epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence – hence the name epi- -genetics...
.
He received the Massry Prize in 2003 (with Roger Kornberg and David Allis). In April 2008, Grunstein was elected into the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
.