Christine Hustmyer

I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana (home of the Indianapolis 500, also known as the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”) and will forever be a proud Hoosier! I attended Indiana University, where I studied the transcriptional regulation of quorum sensing (cell-cell communication) in Vibrio harveyi. My work focused on understanding how LuxR, a global transcriptional repressor/activator, regulates the osmotic stress response. In the Landick lab, I continue my study of bacterial transcription, but now focus on further understanding the structural and in vivo molecular mechanism of proteins that structure DNA and regulate transcription in bacteria—formerly known as Nucleoid associated proteins, but now mostly referred to as proteins that make up bacterial chromatin. These diverse and promiscuous proteins mostly lack characterized molecular structures, but by investigating the mechanism by which this class of proteins regulates transcription, we hope to better understand bacterial behavior (including virulence). I am specifically interested in elucidating how the surrounding environment of the bacteria and the stage of transcription (e.g. initiation vs. elongation) influences the mechanism by which these proteins regulate gene expression.

Outside of enjoying my work in the Landick lab, I am often busy watching open-wheel auto racing, face-timing my dog in Indianapolis, baking, drinking Diet Coke, reading Vonnegut books, or exploring the wonderful cultural and food events here in Madison!

Follow me on Twitter: @cmhustmyer