Dhruba K. Chattoraj

Dr. Chattoraj investigates the molecular mechanisms that control chromosome replication and segregation in the model organisms Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae. He elucidated the mechanism of plasmid copy number control using simple repeat sequences in E. coli and how such a mechanism might have evolved to control chromosomal replication to once-per-cell-cycle in V. cholerae.

His lab also discovered mechanisms by which chromosomes might communicate in bacteria with multipartite genome and by which the processes of replication and segregation influence each other. Other notable contributions have included the understanding of the role of molecular chaperones, DNA methylation, and activation and inactivation of regulatory suites by the act of transcription.