Corey Laverty

Doctor of Philosophy, (Genetics)
Study Completed: 2010
College of Sciences

Citation

Thesis Title
The importance of the promoter in Drosophila dosage compensation

Read article at Massey Research Online: MRO icon

Many life-forms control gene activity through complex networks of regulation that are not yet fully understood. In an effort to characterise one example of these networks, Mr. Laverty studied how fruitflies balance natural gene differences between males and females. His main finding was that the balancing of these genes relies on the type of switch the genes have - their promoter. This observation challenges previous assumptions that the promoter was un-important, providing a more complete picture of how gene activity is balanced between the sexes.

Supervisors
Associate Professor Max Scott
Professor Kathryn Stowell