Alexandria Van Elgort

This study shows that a yeast prion modulates host physiology in Drosophila by affecting cold tolerance and locomotion through gut-brain signaling pathways.

The paper shows that protein structure predicts genetic variation and de novo adaptation by analyzing yeast, plants, and humans, and validates predictions with experimental evolution.

This paper identifies a prion, [MIX+], formed by the DNA helicase Mph1/FANCM, which influences genome diversification through DNA damage resistance and meiotic crossover promotion.