Robert J. Duronio

Robert J. Duronio is a Professor of Biology and Genetics, and Chair of the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also affiliated with the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences. His research focuses on the epigenetic and cell cycle-regulated mechanisms controlling genome structure and function in Drosophila, particularly the interplay between chromatin organization, histone gene expression, and DNA replication during development. Duronio's work employs genetic, genomic, and cell biological approaches to study the histone locus body, a phase-separated nuclear body critical for histone mRNA biosynthesis and cell cycle progression.

His research group investigates how histone gene transcription is temporally and spatially coordinated with S-phase progression, as well as the roles of histone variants and post-translational modifications (e.g., H3K4, H3K36, H4K20) in regulating chromatin structure and Polycomb-mediated gene silencing. Recent studies highlight the plasticity of cell cycle control during development and the functional consequences of histone locus body dysregulation on genomic stability.

• Affiliations: School of Medicine, Department of Biology, Department of Genetics
• Labs: Duronio Lab (focused on developmental cell cycle control and epigenetic mechanisms)