NSF funds $1million DNA repair study at CCNY that includes student researchers

A City College of New York project led by biochemist David Jeruzalmi that engages students in DNA repair-related research is the recipient of a $979,864 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The support for the project entitled “Molecular machinery of the bacterial nucleotide excision repair pathway,” is over four years.

“One of the strengths of our proposal, which was highlighted by the NSF review panel, was our work in bringing undergraduates into research labs, and especially efforts to bring students from throughout City College into research projects with faculty,” said Jeruzalmi, professor of chemistry and biochemistry in City College’s Division of Science.

In this project, CCNY undergraduates will play crucial supporting roles in the research that will be carried out by CUNY doctoral students. 
 
Jeruzalmi’s research group studies two important mechanisms associated with processes organisms have evolved to replicate their genomes and defend them from attack. These are DNA replication and nucleotide excision repair. The group applies X-ray crystallography, supplemented with electron microscopy, to understand these long-standing problems in DNA biology. 

“We also use biochemical studies to inform these approaches and follow up on the resulting insights,” said Jeruzalmi.

About the City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.