William F. Marzluff

William F. Marzluff is a Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on the regulation of gene activity in animal cells, particularly through postranscriptional mechanisms during the cell cycle and early development.

• Key Affiliation: UNC Department of Biology
• Email: marzluff@med.unc.edu
• Office: 208 Fordham Hall

His work primarily investigates histone mRNA regulation, which is unique in lacking polyA tails and being tightly synchronized with DNA replication. Using model organisms like frogs and sea urchins, he explores the role of Stem-Loop Binding Protein (SLBP) in histone mRNA processing, transport, translation, and degradation.

Scientific contributions include elucidating how SLBP connects cell cycle regulators (e.g., G1 cyclins) to histone mRNA metabolism, particularly in systems with rapid cell divisions lacking gap phases.

• Scientific Award: William Rand Kenan Professor