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- 2023
- Congratulations to Dustin King, Amy Lee and David Vocadlo: recipients of New Frontiers in Research Fund
- SFU research aids fight against treatment-resistant superbugs
- Leroux lab Nature Communications paper identifies novel human disease gene linked to retinal degeneration, one of a growing number of genes associated with ciliary dysfunction (ciliopathies)
- Graduate student Minh Nguyen and his colleagues in the Craig lab reveal the mechanism of Type IV-pilus mediated bacterial secretion
- Global News BC: Dr. Fiona Brinkman Discusses How Scientists Track Mutations in the New Covid-19 Variants
- 2022
- Congratulations to Dr. Tim Audas on The Renewal of Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Cellular Stress
- $2 Million Gift From SFU Professors Emeriti Helps Seed New Ideas at SFU Science
- Learn more about Dr. King's new lab that focuses on natural ‘carbon capture’ solutions
- Congratulations to Dr. Amy Lee: The Recipient of The Banting Research Foundation's 2022 Discovery Award
- MBB Alumnus Profile: Meet Dr. Razvan Cojocaru, The Recipient of Governor General’s Gold Medal
- MBB Alumnus Profile: Meet Cory Macklin Who Overcame Challenges to Win Governor General's Silver Medal
- Congratulations to Dr. Razvan Cojocaru, the recipient of Dr. Bruce Brandhorst Prizes for Best Publication and Best PhD Thesis
- Meet Our Newest Faculty: Dr. Dustin King on His Exploration of Weaving Western Science with Indigenous Ways of Knowing
- Congratulations to our June 2022 Graduands
- Dr. Lynne Quarmby and Her Book "WaterMelon Snow: Science, Art, and a Lone Polar Bear" is Featured in SFU Knowledge Mobilizers Series
- Congratulations to our May 2022 Graduands
- Congratulations to Dr. Mani Larijani for Being Awarded a Prestigious New Frontiers in Research Fund Grant
- A New Paper from Beh Lab on ER-PM membrane contact site regulation by yeast ORPs and membrane stress pathways has been published in Plos Genetics Journal
- Dr. Lorena Braid is featured among new and renewed Canada Research Chairs
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Areas of interest
DNA, the keeper of genetic information in all organisms, is constantly modified by internal and external factors during the cell's lifetime. Many types of DNA modification cause mutations. Although mutations may be harmful to individual cells or organisms, mutation in populations is valuable because it leads to genetic variation and ultimately to evolution. There are even circumstances when it is useful to increase the number of mutations in a cell, for example in genes that code for antibodies. Maintaining the optimal balance between genetic stability and variability requires the cell to balance the frequency with which modifications to the DNA occur, and the efficiency with which the original sequence is restored by the various DNA repair pathways.
Education
- BSc (hons) University of Victoria
- MSc University of Calgary
- PhD York University
Selected Publications
- Polosina, YY, Cupples CG. (2011) Mutagenesis Mechanisms, Encyclopaedia of Life Sciences, Wiley-Blackwell.
- Polosina YY, Cupples CG. (2010) Wot the 'L-Does MutL do? Mutat Res. 705: 228-38.
- Polosina YY, Cupples CG. (2010) MutL: conducting the cell's response to mismatched and misaligned DNA. Bioessays. 32(1):51-9.
- Polosina YY, Cupples CG. (2009) Changes in the conformation of the Vsr endonuclease amino-terminal domain accompany DNA cleavage. J. Biochem. 146(4):523-6.
- Heinze RJ, Giron-Monzon L, Solovyova A, Elliot SL, Geisler S, Cupples CG, Connolly BA, Friedhoff P. (2009) Physical and functional interactions between Escherichia coli MutL and the Vsr repair endonuclease. Nucleic Acids Res. 37(13):4453-63.
- Cupples CG (2009) DNA Repair, Encyclopedia of Microbiology, pp 99-112, Elsevier.
- Polosina YY, Mui J, Pitsikas P, Cupples CG. (2009)The Escherichia coli mismatch repair protein MutL recruits the Vsr and MutH endonucleases in response to DNA damage. J. Bacteriol. 191(12):4041-3.
- Pitsikas P, Polosina YY, Cupples CG. (2009) Interaction between the mismatch repair and nucleotide excision repair pathways in the prevention of 5-azacytidine-induced CG-to-GC mutations in Escherichia coli. DNA Repair (Amst). 8(3):354-9.
- Ali M, Kim H, Cleary S, Cupples C, Gallinger S, Bristow R. (2008) Characterization of mutant MUTYH proteins associated with familial colorectal cancer. Gastroenterology. 135(2):499-507.
- Ishibashi T, So K, Cupples CG, Ausi J. (2008) MBD4-mediated glycosylase activity on a chromatin template is enhanced by acetylation. Mol Cell Biol. 28(15):4734-44.