Craig Laufer

Professor of Biology

Tel: (301) 696-3656
E-mail: laufer@hood.edu
Office: Hodson Science & Technology Center, Room 160
Office Hours: By Appointment

Education

Ph.D., Kent State University and Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
B.S., University of Maryland, College Park

Courses Taught

BIO 112 Biology of Food and Nutrition
BIO 331 Microbiology
BIO 411/BMS 511 Biochemistry 1
BMS 520 Protein Purification and Characterization
BMS 531 Prokaryotic Genetics
BMS 540 Genome Analysis Mapping
HON 306 Biology: Fact, Future, Fiction

Research and Teaching Interests

I use genetic and biochemical approaches to study the regulation of gene expression. Specifically, I am using regulation of the lytic/lysogenic life cycle of the bacteriophage P1 as a model system. My students and I are examining the mechanism by which the phage Bof protein modifies the activity of the phages key repressor protein, cI. We have been using a variation of the S.E.L.E.X. procedure (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) to define the protein-nucleic acid interactions in this system.

A second research interest involves the creation of novel chitinase enzymes. I am using in vitro evolution techniques referred to as "sexual PCR" or "DNA shuffling" to evolve chitinase enzymes with increased activity and useful properties.