Department of Biology

Eric Josephs

Research

The Josephs lab incorporates ideas and approaches from molecular bioengineering and molecular biophysics (single- molecule + in vivo + computational) to address critical challenges related to DNA damage repair and genetic engineering of clinically-, industrially-, and agriculturally- important organisms.

Current funding:

In progress: 1R35GM133483-01. “Complex Mechanisms of Mutation and Mutation Avoidance in Living Cells.” Josephs (PI). NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences. 9/17/2019- 07/31/2024.

In progress: 1R21AI146876-01. “Mechanism and Architecture of EndoMS/NucS Mutation Avoidance in Mycobacteria.” Josephs (PI). NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. 6/11/2019-6/30/2021.

In progress: NCBC Grant #2020-FLG-3821. “New Molecular Biotechnologies Optimized for Precision Breeding of NC Crops.” Josephs (PI). Co-PI: Osena, UNCG Biology. North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC). 12/01/2019-11/30/2020.

In progress: UNCG New Faculty Research Award. “Novel Molecular ‘Scaffolding’ to Enhance Protein Biophysics Research at UNCG.” Josephs (PI). UNCG. 01/01/2019-06/30/2020.

Publications:

1)      Kocak, D.D., Josephs, E. A., Bhandarkar, V., Adkar, S. S., Kwon, J.B., Gersbach, C. A. “Increasing the Specificity of CRISPR Systems with Engineered RNA Secondary Structures.” Nature Biotechnol., 2019, 37, 657–666
See recent public press releases on this publication, for example, here.

2)      Scholl, Z.N., Li, Q., Josephs, E. A., Apostoidou, D., Marszalek, P.E. “Force Spectroscopy of Single Protein Molecules Using an Atomic Force Microscope.” J. Vis. Exp. 2019, 144, e55989.

3)      Josephs, E. A.,* Marszalek, P. E.* “Endonuclease-independent DNA Mismatch Repair Processes on the Lagging Strand.” DNA Repair, 2018, 68, 41-49. *Corresponding authors.

4)      Hao, X., Josephs, E. A., Gu, Q., Ye, T. “Molecular Conformations of Targets Captured by DNA Nanoarrays.” Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 13419-13424.

5)      Josephs, E. A.,* Marszalek, P. E.* “A ‘Semi-Protected Oligonucleotide Recombination’ Assay for DNA Mismatch Repair in vivo Suggests Different Modes of Repair for Lagging Strand Mismatches.” Nucleic Acids Res., 2017, gkw1339. *Corresponding authors.

6)      Scholl, Z. N.,‡* Josephs, E. A.,‡*, Marszalek, P. E.* “Modular, Nondegenerate Polyprotein Scaffolds for Atomic Force Spectroscopy.” Biomacromol., 2016. 17 (7), 2502-2505. ‡Authors contributed equally to this work; *Corresponding authors.

7)      Josephs, E. A.,* Kocak, D. D., Fitzgibbon, C. J., McMenemy, J., Gersbach, C. A., Marszalek, P. E.* “Structure and Specificity of the RNA-guided Endonuclease Cas9 during DNA Interrogation, Target Binding, and Cleavage.” Nucleic Acids Res., 2015, 43 (18), 8924-8941. *Corresponding authors.

8)      Josephs, E. A.,* Zheng, T., Marszalek, P. E.* “Atomic Force Microscopy Captures the Initiation of Methyl-Directed DNA Mismatch Repair.” DNA Repair, 2015, 35, 71-84. *Corresponding authors.

9)      Josephs, E. A. and T. Ye. “Nanoscale Spatial Distribution of Tethered DNA on Model Nucleic Acid Sensor Surfaces.” ACS Nano, 2013, 7 (4), 3653–3660.

10)  Josephs, E.A., Shao, J., Ye, T. “Nanografting Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate under Potential Control: new insights into tip-directed molecular assembly.” Nanoscale, 2013, 5, 4139-4143.

11)  Abel, Jr., G. A., Josephs, E. A., Luong, N., Ye, T. “A Switchable Surface Enables Detection of Single DNA Hybridization Events with Atomic Force Microscopy.” J. Am Chem. Soc., 2013, 135 (17), 6399–6402.

12)  Shao, J.,‡ Josephs, E.A.,‡ Lee, C., Lopez, A., Ye, T. “Electrochemical Etching of Gold within Nanoshaved Self-Assembled Monolayers.” ACS Nano, 2013, 7 (6), 5421–5429.‡Authors contributed equally to this work.

13)  Josephs, E. A. and T. Ye. “Electric-field Dependent Conformations of DNA Molecules on a Model Biosensor Surface.” Nano Lett., 2012, 12 (10), 5255–5261.

14)  Lee, C., Josephs, E. A., Shao, J., Ye, T. “Nanoscale Chemical Patterns on Gold Microplates.” J. Phys. Chem. C, 2012, 116 (33), 17625–17632.

15)  Josephs, E. A. and T. Ye. “A Single Molecule View of Conformational Switching of DNA Tethered to a Gold Electrode.” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134 (24), 10021– 10030.

16)  Josephs, E. A. and T. Ye. “Nanoscale Positioning of Individual DNA Molecules by an Atomic Force Microscope.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132 (30), 10236-38.
** Selected for December 2010 JACS Select collection “Surface Patterning: More than Just Scratching the Surface,” highlighting significant recent publications. **

Classes:

Nanobiology (NAN 602)
Nanomechanics (NAN 635)