Bronwyn Lucas

Bronwyn Lucas is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology. Her research focuses on leveraging cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and emerging computational methods to study molecular mechanisms in cells. Her lab, the Lucas Lab (https://www.lucaslab.science/), develops novel approaches to visualize macromolecular assemblies in their cellular context, particularly ribosome assembly pathways and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) milling optimization.

Research interests include understanding ribosome biogenesis across cellular compartments (nucleolus, nucleus, cytoplasm) and advancing cryo-EM techniques for in situ structural analysis. Key projects involve characterizing yeast and human ribosome assembly intermediates and quantifying FIB milling damage to improve sample preparation. The lab also explores the 'structureome' concept, aiming to create a structural reference analogous to genomics.

Publications highlight contributions to 2D template matching algorithms for target detection, cryo-EM methodology, and ribosome maturation dynamics. The team's work bridges structural biology with cellular biology, emphasizing spatially resolved molecular modeling. Ongoing efforts focus on extending these methods to uncover biological processes at atomic resolution within cells.

Advising and grants are not detailed in the provided materials. The lab's future directions include applying structureomics to broader biological systems and refining in situ cryo-EM protocols for complex cellular environments.