معرفی
Arthur Lesk is a Professor of Biology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University, affiliated with the BMMB Graduate Program and Bioinformatics initiatives. His research focuses on genomics, protein structure evolution, and biological network analysis, with notable contributions to mammoth genome sequencing and alternative splicing studies. Collaborations include work with Profs. Miller and Schuster on comparative genomics of mammoths and elephants. Lesk has authored influential textbooks like Introduction to Protein Science and pioneered methods for protein folding pattern classification. His lab explores structural bioinformatics, regulatory network motifs, and systems-level biological organization, bridging computational and experimental approaches.
Research Interests:
- Genomics: Comparative analysis of protein-coding genes, alternative splicing consequences, and evolutionary pressures
- Structural Biology: Protein folding patterns, evolutionary conservation, and functional implications of structural changes
- Biological Networks: Regulatory network motif connectivity, transcription pathways, and hierarchical network assembly principles
Key Projects:
- Decoding mammoth/elephant genome differences to study protein evolution
- Developing MUSTANG structural alignment algorithms
- Mapping network motif combinations in yeast regulatory systems
Advising & Grants: While no specific students are listed, Lesk’s work has been supported by grants enabling large-scale genomic projects and computational infrastructure development. His lab contributes to the UCSC Genome Browser and structural bioinformatics tools.
Labs/Teams: Active in cross-disciplinary collaborations within PSU’s Biochemistry department and international genome sequencing consortia.
