The Majorana project

Building a 0νβ β experiment with the ability to probe neutrino mass in the inverted hierarchy region requires the combination of a large detector mass sensitive to 0νβ β, on the order of 1-tonne, and unprecedented background levels, on the order of or less than 1 count per year in the 0νβ β signal region. The Majorana Collaboration proposes a design based on using high-purity enriched 76Ge crystals deployed in ultra- low background electroformed Cu cryostats and using modern analysis techniques that should be capable of reaching the required sensitivity while also being scalable to a 1- tonne size. To demonstrate feasibility, the collaboration plans to construct a prototype system, the Majorana Demonstrator, consisting of 30 kg of 86% enriched 76Ge detectors and 30 kg of natural or isotope-76-depleted Ge detectors. We plan to deploy and evaluate two different Ge detector technologies, one based on a p-type configuration and the other on n-type

Sequence analysis of chromatin immunoprecipitation data for factors

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments allow the location of transcription factors to be determined across the genome. Subsequent analysis of the sequences of the identified regions allows binding to be localized at a higher resolution than can be achieved by current high-throughput experiments without sequence analysis and may provide important insight into the regulatory programs enacted by the protein of interest. In this chapter we review the tools, workflow, and common pitfalls of such analyses and recommend strategies for effective motif discovery from these data

Genetic Basis of Mitochondrial Function and Morphology in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The understanding of the processes underlying organellar function and inheritance requires the identification and characterization of the molecular components involved. We pursued a genomic approach to define the complements of genes required for respiratory growth and inheritance of mitochondria with normal morphology in yeast. With the systematic screening of a deletion mutant library covering the nonessential genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae the numbers of genes known to be required for respiratory function and establishment of wild-type-like mitochondrial structure have been more than doubled. In addition to the identification of novel components, the systematic screen revealed unprecedented mitochondrial phenotypes that have never been observed by conventional screens. These data provide a comprehensive picture of the cellular processes and molecular components required for mitochondrial function and structure in a simple eukaryotic cell