Welcome!
Campbell Lab and Darst Lab
Seth Darst Elizabeth Campbell
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WHO WE AREWe are located on the A Level of Theobald Smith Hall in the Collaborative Research Center. We are two distinct yet highly collaborative labs that integrate basic science, biophysics, and molecular pathogenesis. We aim to bridge these fields to create a holistic understanding of biological complexes. The Darst Lab utilizes biophysical approaches in model organisms like E. coli, and the Campbell Lab leverages these methods to study pathogens like M. tuberculosis. The labs have joined forces in elucidating similar mechanisms in SARS-CoV-2 and Hepatitis B.
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THE ORIGIN STORY
In 1999, Campbell and Darst elucidated the first high-resolution structures of cellular RNA polymerases. In addition, they solved the first structure of RNA polymerases bound with a clinical antibiotic, Rifampicin, used to treat the deadly disease TB. This is the origin of the two labs. The Darst Lab continues to unravel the molecular intricacies of transcription in model organisms, while The Campbell Lab utilizes this platform to study transcription in TB (Campbell et al., Cell 2001)
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
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The Darst and Campbell Labs believe that diversity enriches scientific creativity and perspectives. We strive to build a diverse, kind, and inclusive environment. We support initiatives to promote diversity, equality, justice, and inclusion.
This poster is courtesy of Sammy Katta. Follow the link to learn more about how you can commit to being an ally for diversity in academia.
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Lab News
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Congratulations to Gabe Small for being awarded the International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR) Travel award plus a speaker slot!
Congratulations to Josh Brewer for passing the Securities Industry Essentials Exam, a requirement for registration to engage in securities business! |
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We welcome Yukti as the newest member of the Darst-Campbell Lab, and congratulate her on completing her PhD!
Josh Brewer being professorial at the NY Bacillus Group meeting June 2023
Ruby wining best talk at the Tuberculosis Drug Discovery and Development GRS July 2023
Gabe Small killing it at the Nido2023 meeting in Switzerland
Sophia- our summer SURF student (mentored by the wonderful Joshua Chandanani) explaining her stellar work from this summer in our lab.
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Congratulations to Liz who won the Emil Von Behring Prize of the Philipps Universität Marburg in November 2023 for her work on elucidating the structure of the SARS-COV-2 polymerase in complex with the helicase.
Congratulations to Anoosha, who won the Early-Stage TPCB student poster award at the TPCB Symposium
Wamiah awarded the Metropolitan Anti-Viral Drug Accelerator post-doctoral fellowship June 2023 Liz, Seth and JK Lyu award the Metropolitan Anti-Viral Drug Accelerator (Gabe's research) Congrats to Barbara who won the 2023 Nat Sternberg thesis prize. The prize is awarded for outstanding Ph.D. work in the field of bacterial molecular biology. True it's for her work in the Rock lab, but we take some of the glory :) Congrats Ruby Froom and Josh Brewer were picked to give a talk at the GRS TB Drug discovery and Development Congrats to Maddie for receiving the Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship at the GRC TB Drug discovery and Development Congrats to Gabe small for being selected to give a talk at the Nido2023 meeting Congrats to Liz for receiving the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Institute for Global Infectious Disease Research award 
Nina presenting her awesome work on the role of sigma 1.1 in promoter melting at the GRC on Microbial Transcription
Congrats to Barbara- we are so lucky to have this star!
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August 1: Andreas receives the LSRF fellowship
May 9th: After a whirlwind of an application cycle, YJ committed to the MD/PhD program at UNC! Let's go, Tar Heels! May 1st: Welcoming the newest member of our lab... Introducing Joshua Chandanani! Bringing in his RNA-centric doctrine, we are so glad to have you join us! April 6th: Check out a feature on EurekAlert on how fidaxomycin selectively inhibits the RNA polymerase of Clostridium difficile in our newest publication in Nature (link to full article). Another great collaboration with the Landick Lab! April 4th: A big congratulations to our very own Gabe Small for being awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship!! March 25th: Brandon presents his research at the International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR 2022) in Seattle, Washington and brings home a 1st place award for his poster. Such grit and wit! February 1st: Wamiah Chowdhury is joining us as our latest postdoctoral fellow from University of Wisconsin-Madison with the Pels Family Center for Biochemistry and Structural Biology Fellowship. Giving her a warm, NYC welcome! January: Bidding Hande Boyaci our farewells as she leaves for her new position at Schrödinger. Best of luck!! |
December 8th: Brandon defends successfully
May 13th: Wamiah heads back to UW-Madison to receive her doctorate. Here we present the newly minted Dr. Chowdhury with her advisor, Prof Tricia Kiley. Congratulations!!
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December: Our best wishes to James Chen as he starts his new postdoctoral position at NYU Grossman!
October 4th: Seth receives the Gregori Aminoff Prize for his structural insights into bacterial RNAP! Congratulations!
September 13th: Brandon and Liz publish a timely report about Molnupiravir in Nature, earning features in CNN, The Atlantic, and The New York Times.
July 15th: Check out Mira & Liz in a "Meet The Authors" feature on their recent work on WhiB7, an activating transcription factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis! Check out their paper here!
March 1st: Rockefeller highlights a recent publication of sorangicin's inhibitory role in DNA unwinding in rifampicin-resistant Mtb RNAP. See the full article here!
February: Coming from Switzerland, we welcome Andreas Muller as our newest addition to the group! Welcome :)
October 4th: Seth receives the Gregori Aminoff Prize for his structural insights into bacterial RNAP! Congratulations!
September 13th: Brandon and Liz publish a timely report about Molnupiravir in Nature, earning features in CNN, The Atlantic, and The New York Times.
July 15th: Check out Mira & Liz in a "Meet The Authors" feature on their recent work on WhiB7, an activating transcription factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis! Check out their paper here!
March 1st: Rockefeller highlights a recent publication of sorangicin's inhibitory role in DNA unwinding in rifampicin-resistant Mtb RNAP. See the full article here!
February: Coming from Switzerland, we welcome Andreas Muller as our newest addition to the group! Welcome :)