In August, Biology Professor Yury Chernoff was awarded a 3 year NSF Molecular and Cellular Biology grant to investigate the control of heritable protein aggregation by ribosome-associated chaperones. The goal of this research is to investigate how physiological changes regulate protein-based inheritance in yeast. Protein-based heritable elements, in particular fungal prions, are novel kind of genetic elements; they produce heritable changes in their host cells without any change in the DNA of their genes. This occurs by switching between protein isoforms, one of which (prion isoform) is able to reproduce itself by inducing other molecules of the same protein to switch into the same isoform. This project examines how these transitions are aided by another class of proteins, molecular chaperones, whose normal function is to promote correct protein folding and prevent misfolding. Understanding the physiological control of protein-based inheritance may have an impact on the industrial use of yeast and other fungi. The research team includes graduate and undergraduate students and will strengthen the research infrastructure of Georgia Tech.