What do we do?

Transcription is the essential and universal process by which DNA is copied into RNA. It is also a prime medicinal target for fighting infectious disease. Our lab is dedicated to understanding the intricacies of microbial transcription, with the ultimate goal of guiding drug discovery in the world's two leading infectious agents: TB and SARS-CoV-2. 

Why do we do it?

According to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report, TB remains the leading cause of death from an infectious agent causing ~1.6 million deaths yearly. Determinants of TB infection include poverty, malnutrition, and HIV infection. Rifampicin, a first line treatment, targets RNA Polymerase. Now, drug-resistant TB is on the rise, accounting for ~200,000 deaths yearly. Treatment is long, expensive, inadequate, and largely inaccessible. 
RNA polymerase is a large enzyme with many nooks and crannies to bind and disrupt the transcription cycle. The graphic above (Chen, Boyaci, & Campbell, Nature Reviews in Microbiology 2021), acquired using cryoEM, showcases RNA polymerase bound with antibiotics which inhibit its function.

Campbell Lab News

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​July 18, 2024: Liz Campbell given the inaugural faculty Inclusive Excellence Award!

"The faculty award went to Elizabeth Campbell, who was named head of the Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenesis just this month. Campbell is known across campus as a staunch advocate for diversity in science, serving on the faculty advisory committees for many students and those from underrepresented minority groups both at Rockefeller and at collaborating institutions. She has also directly mentored roughly 30 SURF and outreach students during her time at Rockefeller."

Read more here: https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/36166-rockefeller-celebrates-inaugural-dei-awards/