David B. Bates

David B. Bates is an Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, holding joint appointments in the Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, and the Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences. He received his PhD from the University of New Mexico (1998) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University (2006). His research focuses on chromosome dynamics, DNA replication, and cell cycle control in E. coli, with particular emphasis on chromosome cohesion, DNA topology at replication forks, and the role of topological barriers in genome maintenance.

Dr. Bates' lab develops innovative imaging techniques, such as multi-color chromosome painting, to study three-dimensional chromosome organization. His work reveals how entanglement (precatenanes) between sister chromosomes influences replication fork progression and segregation. Key findings include the role of SeqA protein in modulating cohesion and the impact of topoisomerase activity on chromosome decatenation.

His published work spans 15+ impactful articles, including studies on replication fork dynamics, cohesion regulation, and DNA repair mechanisms. He received the Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P Teaching Award (2015) for educational contributions. His lab trains graduate students (e.g., Anna Barker, Bryan Visser) and postdocs, focusing on experimental and theoretical approaches to bacterial genetics. Dr. Bates is also a member of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, linking his research to broader genomic stability studies.