Biophysical and Biochemical Characterization of Mitochondrial Transcription on Chimeric and Authentic Templates

For years, mitochondria have been promoted as the "powerhouse of the cell," because the energy they produce is essential to life. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or genes required for mtDNA gene expression have been linked to diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disorders, and muscular dystrophies. I did biochemical and biophysical characterization of mitochondrial DNA templates in order to investigate the transcription of mitochondrial DNA and contribute to research on this important organelle.