Precision in protein production: requirements and mechanism*

Cells possess specific compositions of proteins that define their physiology. I will discuss our research that is focused on elucidating the physiological requirements and mechanistic basis of the precise rates of protein production. Using bacterial model systems, we develop quantitative approaches to measure, manipulate, and model how co-transcribed genes produce distinct proportions of proteins, as well as how imbalanced production affects cell fitness. Our ultimate goal is to establish predictive frameworks to derive quantitative protein expression levels and their effects on bacterial growth physiology from operon sequences.