Centromeres are structures found in eukaryotic chromosomes which are essential for the faithful segregation of replicated chromosomes to daughter cells. Centromeres have only been isolated and characterized from yeast cells. Ababidopsis thaliana is an excellent choice for attempting to isolate and clone centromeres from a higher organism because of its unique molecular characteristics. Dr. James E. Lincoln, a Postdoctoral Fellow in Plant Biology, will attempt to clone centromeres from A. thaliana in the laboratory of Dr. Ronald Davis at Stanford University. If successful, this work would allow a better understanding of fundamental genetic mechanisms as well as providing necessary structures for further studies in the genetics of a higher plant.
