معرفی
Nancy Horton is a Professor at the Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology (MCB) within the University of Arizona's College of Science. She holds additional professorships at the BIO5 Institute, Genetics GIDP (Graduate Interdisciplinary Program), and Cancer Biology GIDP. Her laboratory is located in Life Sciences South Building, Rooms 404, 410 (lab) and 454 (office). Her research focuses on structural and mechanistic studies of enzymes involved in DNA processing, particularly enzyme filamentation mechanisms and their roles in catalytic activation and specificity. Key areas include the SgrAI endonuclease and NS1 protein of human parvovirus B19. Her work bridges biochemistry, structural biology, and molecular biophysics to understand enzyme function and regulation.
Her research interests emphasize the structural basis of enzyme function, including allosteric regulation, protein-DNA interactions, and viral replication mechanisms. She employs techniques like X-ray crystallography, ion mobility mass spectrometry, and kinetic modeling to study these systems. Recent studies highlight how filament formation in SgrAI enhances catalytic efficiency and alters DNA sequence specificity, with implications for understanding enzyme regulation in biological systems.
Her publications consistently address topics such as metal-ion mediated catalysis, viral nuclease activity, and the design of small-molecule inhibitors targeting epigenetic proteins. While no specific awards are listed, her sustained contributions to enzyme mechanism research suggest recognition within the scientific community. Her lab actively investigates enzyme dynamics and their applications in antiviral strategies and structural biology.
