Parental chromosomes separate during meiosis and segregate into sex cells, like sperm or egg, transferring genetic information to the next generation. For successful inheritance to occur, chromosomes must communicate with each other to ensure they remain intact throughout the process. Ofer Rog, who is Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah, employed cutting-edge genetics and high-resolution microscopy to probe local and chromosome-wide physical changes during meiosis to understand their function in chromosome inheritance.
Unraveling chromosome biology
Rog considers himself privileged to be doing science. Since he started college, he was surrounded by people who were doing research, allowing him to envision a career in academia. “I had crucial connections that helped me land a PhD position in a top-notch research institute in the UK,” says Rog. Since then, Rog has been dedicated to understanding chromosome biology.
As a PhD student in Julie Cooper’s laboratory at the University College London, Rog showed that a DNA-binding protein is required for replication forks to pass through telomeres. This was a dogma-shattering observation since the prevailing view was that DNA-binding proteins are barriers to replication. Continuing his work in chromosome biology as a postdoc with Abby Dernburg at the University of California, Berkeley, Rog embraced cell biological approaches and dissected molecular mechanisms of chromosome interactions. He first developed tools for high-resolution live imaging of chromosome dynamics in C. elegans and visualized the structure-function relationship between protein complexes that latch onto chromosomes. He provided the first direct observation of a protein network assembly onto parental chromosomes, where many proteins form a railroad-like zipper structure between parental (homologous) chromosomes to regulate exchanges during sexual reproduction. He further discovered that this structure is not static and rigid, as was widely assumed based on electron microscopy images, but rather a liquid-like dynamic compartment.
“Rog developed a cytological method to measure exchanges between sister chromatids in meiosis using pulse-chase experiments. Before his work, exchanges between sister chromatids were effectively invisible since sister chromatids are genetically identical,” explains Lisa Kursel, a Research Assistant Professor working in Rog’s laboratory at the University of Utah.
Launching his independent research group on the back of these remarkable discoveries, Rog now investigates the broader implications of the liquid-like state of the chromosomal-protein complex structure on genetic exchanges during meiosis and on cellular health. “We are interested in why the structure of the protein-chromosome complex behaves as a liquid. We hypothesize that the structure allows communication between different molecules in a very controlled way where the molecular signal diffuses inside a compartment instead of spreading to all directions at once. We are also interested in how this liquid structure can bring and hold chromosomes together to exert force on the genome and shape it into chromosomes,” says Rog. He is now combining powerful stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy and cryogenic electron tomography to look at molecular structures and how they manifest in the complex organization of chromosomes.
A terrific role model with a passion for science communication
Rog is the first openly gay faculty in the College of Science at the University of Utah, and he deeply values inclusion. “It is important to have visibility and have everyone’s voices heard. I have made sure to provide space for members of the LGBTQ community,” he shares. Rog used his position and influence to create changes within his research community, founding an LGBTQ+ STEM group at the University of Utah where he invites LGBTQ+ speakers to campus and discusses their inspiring research journey with students. Rog is also advocating for diversifying science along other axes as an early career researcher. “I think we currently have a lot of walls, such as people coming into a biology PhD from a non-R01 university or non-western countries. We want to hear how people in leadership positions can make science inclusive and bring down walls in the scientific community,” says Rog.
Lisa Kursel describes Rog as an excellent teacher and mentor. “His teaching and mentoring style is welcoming and inclusive. He manages to get undergraduate students excited about genetics. My undergrad mentee told me his dream is to become a genetics professor because of Rog’s influence,” says Kursel. Rog is also deeply involved in the graduate program, where he serves as an advisor on the graduate program committee.
Another of Rog’s passions is to improve science communication. As far as his research is concerned, he believes that the tools to communicate the dynamic chromosome movement are limited. “Anything you draw will look like two separate things and will not convey the dynamic nature. Static images also fail to convey that the molecules are constantly rearranging during sexual reproduction,” he explains. In coordination with Janet Iwasa, a molecular animator and Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Utah, Rog organized a conference bringing together scientists and experts in visualization technologies, such as animators, illustrators, and developers to build virtual reality platforms that communicate his work on dynamic chromosome biology. He also created an intensive fellowship writing course for graduate students to address an unmet need in formal training for science writing.
Join us in congratulating Ofer Rog, who received the Genetics Society of America Early Career Medal at The Allied Genetics Conference 2024 in Metro Washington, DC.
2024 GSA Awards Seminar Series
In a recent seminar, Ofer Rog joined us to discuss two unpublished stories from his lab–the first documenting the unexpected de-mixing of sister chromatids during meiotic prophase and the mechanisms that mediate it, and the second describing a new genomic technique his lab developed to characterize large-scale chromatin organization and its application to meiotic chromosomes. Watch the recording here!
Sejal Davla, PhD, is a neuroscientist, science writer, and data scientist with expertise in research in a variety of life sciences. She has more than a decade of experience studying the brain by using cutting-edge methodologies in microscopy, molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry, and is a motivated storyteller and science communicator.
Sejal Davla is a freelance science writer and data scientist with expertise in neuroscience and genetics. She is a motivated storyteller and works on projects at the intersection of science, data, and policy.
View all posts by Sejal Davla »Read more in
-
Thank you, GSA community!
Thank you for being a member of the Genetics Society of America! As GSA’s current president, I am writing to tell you about Society projects and initiatives that we hope you will find useful in advancing your science and your career. Scientific research is a collaborative and exciting endeavor. Scientific societies like GSA exist to…
-
Where are they now? Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award recipients share updates on their research
Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award applications are open–make sure you submit your application or nomination of a colleague by September 30, 2024.
-
University of Minnesota researchers map genome of the last living wild horse species
The study, published in G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, is part of larger conservation efforts to save Przewalski’s horse.
-
Congratulations to the Spring 2024 DeLill Nasser Awardees!
GSA is pleased to announce the recipients of the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics for Spring 2024! Given twice a year to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, DeLill Nasser Awards support attendance at meetings and laboratory courses. The award is named in honor of DeLill Nasser, a long-time GSA supporter and National Science Foundation…
-
Carolyn Damilola: an NFS Rising Scientist on a lifelong quest to learn more
Carolyn Damilola is an NFS Rising Scientist from Nigeria doing respiratory system research and paving the way for scientists from underrepresented communities through mentorship.
-
What does a good microgrant proposal look like?
Members of the Microgrant Review Committee share their tips for a successful proposal.
-
The first piece of the facial recognition puzzle
New research in GENETICS gives a first peek at the molecular pathway involved in recognizing faces.
-
New Senior Editor Amy MacQueen joins GENETICS
A new senior editor is joining GENETICS in the Genome Integrity and Transmission section. We’re excited to welcome Amy MacQueen to the editorial team.
-
Block party on the zebrafish sex chromosome
Research in G3 identifies a gene regulatory block of the zebrafish genome responsible for overseeing the maternal-to-zygotic-transition.
-
Unraveling the mysteries of duckweed: epigenetic insights from Spirodela polyrhiza
Research published in G3 offers insight into the impact of DNA methylation on clonal propagation in asexually reproducing plants.
-
A microbiologist’s quest to understand CRISPR in bacterial self-defense
2024 Genetics Society of America Medal recipient Luciano Marraffini determined how CRISPR-Cas systems destroy genetic targets with precision, paving the way for gene editing technology development.
-
Unlocking mysteries of trait and disease heritability in dogs
2024 Edward Novitski Prize recipient Elaine Ostrander, a pioneer of the domestic dog model, discovered numerous genes affecting dog size, morphology, behavior, and disease susceptibility—many of which have relevance in humans.
-
GSA and collaborators Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue and Reclaiming STEM Institute launch NSF-funded BIO-LEAPS project to support culture change in genetics
We are thrilled to announce that the Genetics Society of America (GSA) is collaborating with the Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue (PGED) based in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, and the Reclaiming STEM Institute (RSI) on a Leading Culture Change Through Professional Societies of Biology (BIO-LEAPS) grant from the U.S. National Science…
-
Daman Saluja: Navigating Science and Policy in India
In the Paths to Science Policy series, we talk to individuals who have a passion for science policy and are active in advocacy through their various roles and careers. The series aims to inform and guide early career scientists interested in science policy. This series is brought to you by the GSA Early Career Scientist…
-
A fly geneticist’s journey into discovering rules of organ development
2024 George W. Beadle Award recipient Deborah Andrew discovered new genes and pathways in Drosophila salivary gland organogenesis. Now, her work can help optimize cell secretion in therapeutic applications and fight malaria.
-
Małgorzata Gazda: How receiving the DeLill Nasser Award helped her land her dream job
Have you ever experienced an event that changes the course of your life, or in this case, your career? Małgorzata (Gosia) Gazda is Assistant Professor at the University of Montreal and in 2022, she received the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics, which she used to attend and present at the 2022 Population,…
-
Hongyu Zhao joins GENETICS as new Senior Editor
A new senior editor is joining GENETICS in the Statistical Genetics and Genomics section. We’re excited to welcome Hongyu Zhao to the editorial team.
-
GSA Member Julio Molina Pineda Receives DeLill Nasser Award, Shines at TAGC 2024
“At any career stage, the GSA membership is an amazing investment for any genetics professional!” Julio Molina Pineda is a PhD Candidate in Cell and Molecular Biology and a Research Assistant at the University of Arkansas, and a Doctoral Academy Fellow at the Lewis Lab. In 2023, Julio was awarded the DeLill Nasser Award for…
-
In Memoriam: Ellsworth Herman Grell (1932–2023), a pioneer of Drosophila genome engineering and annotation
Ellsworth (Ed) Grell blessed the Drosophila community through three enduring legacies: as a pioneer of chromosome mechanics, as a primary organizer and synthesizer of genetic knowledge in Drosophila, and as a graceful mentor to those fortunate to have known him personally. Ed grew up in rural Nebraska, completed his undergraduate studies at Iowa State, and…
-
Congratulations to the #Fungal24 Poster Award winners!
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the GSA Poster Awards for posters presented at the 32nd Fungal Genetics Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of judges made the determinations. Congratulations to all! Felicia Ebot Ojong, The University of Georgia My research is focused…
-
Poster presentation tips for TAGC 2024
You’ve been selected to present a poster at The Allied Genetics Conference 2024 in March—you’ve celebrated, made plans to attend, now what? This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your research and engage with fellow members of the genetics community, so you want to make sure you’re prepared. We wanted to offer you some tips…
-
Maximize your TAGC 2024 experience
A guide to all that National Harbor & DC have to offer Are you joining us for The Allied Genetics Conference 2024 in March? Make the most of your #TAGC24 experience in National Harbor! We know the science will keep you busy, but you deserve to unwind and have some fun, so we’ve curated a…
-
Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Sarah Petrosky
We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Sarah PetroskyMultimedia SubcommitteeUniversity of Pittsburgh Research Interest I am interested in understanding adaptation that has been happening recently in populations by dissecting the ways that genes underlying an adaptation…
-
TAGC 2024 Early Career Award Winners
GSA is pleased to announce the winners of the early career awards presented at The Allied Genetics Conference 2024. These awards are specific to particular TAGC communities and recognize early career scientists’ outstanding work on their respective research organisms. The awardees will present their talks in keynote sessions at TAGC 2024. Don’t miss the opportunity…
-
Preeminent geneticists recognized with revamped GSA Awards
In 2022, GSA’s Board of Directors launched an audit to review the five major awards conferred by the Society. Today, we are thrilled to announce the recipients of the reimagined GSA Awards, including the new Genetics Society of America Early Career Medal. The scientists honored this year are recognized by their peers for their outstanding…
-
Fly Board funds outreach programs to spread the word about Drosophila research
In 2020, the Fly Board voted to use part of its reserve fund to support efforts to increase trainee participation as well as equity and diversity in the Drosophila community. An awards committee decides how the money will be spent each year, and from 2020–2022, the committee posted a very broad call for applications from…
-
New members of the GSA Board of Directors: 2024–2026
We are pleased to announce the election of four new leaders to the GSA Board of Directors: 2024 Vice President/2025 President Brenda Andrews Professor, University of Toronto It’s an honor to continue my association with the Society by serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors. I have broad knowledge of the ongoing activities…
-
New members of the GSA Board of Directors: 2025–2027
We are pleased to announce the election of six new leaders to the GSA Board of Directors: 2025 Vice President/2026 President Cassandra Extavour Timken Professor of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology and of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Harvard University, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator “Read this,” he said, “it will change your life.” My undergraduate…
-
Congratulations, Spring 2025 Victoria Finnerty Travel Award recipients!
The Victoria Finnerty Undergraduate Travel Award supports conference-attendance costs for undergraduate GSA members who are presenting research at the Annual Drosophila Research Conference. #Dros25 will be held in San Diego, CA from March 19–23, 2025. Victoria Finnerty, who died in February 2011, was a long-time member of the Genetics Society of America and served the Drosophila community and the genetics community at large in…
-
Meet embGAN, a revolution for cell lineage studies
New research in GENETICS reports an automated pipeline for cell lineage tracing that massively reduces manual analysis time.