Citation | NDF Grindley is best known for his research into the mechanisms of DNA transposition and site-specific recombination. His pioneering investigations of gamma delta resolvase-mediated recombination, using a combination of genetics, biochemistry and structural studies, have firmly established this system as the prototype of a class of site-specific recombination systems quite distinct from that of phage lambda integrase (and its relatives). Work in Grindley's laboratory has elucidated many of the features of the recombination process, starting with the revealing observation that in an in vitro reaction, the formation of a double strand break at each crossover site is accompanied by the covalent attachment of resolvase to the 5' ends of the breaks. These studies provided a landmark in the field and have paved the way for further fundamental discoveries concerning the mechanism of site-specific recombination. |