RESEARCH PAGE OF THE LABORATORY OF PHILIP SERWER, DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT SAN ANTONIO.

We analyze phenomena at the interface of biology and physical chemistry. The phenomena are events of the assembly of double-stranded DNA bacteriophages. We (1) develop and use highly efficient systems for the in vitro assembly of bacteriophages, (2) analyze assembly in these in vitro systems by observing single events of assembly with fluorescence microscopy. To improve our understanding of the evolution of bacteriophages, we isolate environmental bacteriophages that cannot be isolated by use of conventional techniques. The Hardies laboratory of our department performs studies of comparative genomics/evolution with the newly isolated bacteriophages. To enhance the capability for comparative genomics in general, a subdivision of the Serwer laboratory, led by Gary Griess, develops procedures to improve capillary DNA sequencing. Thus, our work is in the following three categories:

1. Single-particle Analysis of Bacteriophage Assembly (and Complex Biochemistry in General)

2. Environmental Bacteriophages

3. Enhanced Capillary DNA Sequencing

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Contact:

Phil Serwer, Ph.D. Professor The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Department of Biochemistry 7703 Floyd Curl Drive San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900 Phone: (210) 567-3765 E-mail: serwer@uthscsa.edu