Directory
Department Chair: Ilan Benjamin | Department Manager: Derek DeMarco |
Graduate Adviser: Karen Meece | Administrative Assistant: Katie Cramton |
Undergraduate Adviser: Marla Hesselink | Undergraduate Adviser: Rexton Lynn |
Instructional Lab Manager: Lori Etow | |
Department Office: (831) 459-4002 | Adminstrative Office: PSB, Room 230 |

- Title
- Professor
- Director and Adviser BMB Program
- Member, Center for Molecular Biology of RNA
- Division Physical & Biological Sciences Division
- Department
- Chemistry & Biochemistry Department
- Phone 831-459-5367 (office), 831-459-5292 (Lab)
- Website
- Office Location
- Physical Sciences Building, 458
- Physical Sciences Bldg 458 (Office)
- Physical Sciences Bldg 453 (Lab)
- Office Hours By appointment
- Mail Stop Chemistry
- Mailing Address
- 1156 High Street
- Santa Cruz CA 95064
- Faculty Areas of Expertise Chemistry
Summary of Expertise
Structure and function of RNA, proteins, and their complexes, origin of life.
Research Interests
I am trying to understand RNA structure, catalysis and the origin of life.
Biography, Education and Training
B.S., Chemistry, B.S., Biology, Bates College
Ph.D., Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Postdoc, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
Selected Publications
Selected Presentations
- http://scottlab.ucsc.edu/hh/hammerhead_ribozyme_tour.html A Structural Tour of the Hammerhead Ribozyme
- http://scottlab.ucsc.edu/L1/Ligase_slideshow.html The L1 Ligase Ribozyme: "A glimpse of biology's first enzyme"
- http://scottlab.ucsc.edu/hh/slideshow_mrna_hh.html A Ribozyme Embedded in a Mammalian mRNA
- http://scottlab.ucsc.edu/L1/phasing_no_heavy_atoms.html Phasing Novel RNA Structures Without Heavy Atom Derivatives
Teaching Interests
Biophysical Chemistry and Structural Molecular Biology