Professor Merlin Crossley
Professor and Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) G08 - Biochemistry and Microbiology Building
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Biographical summary
Merlin Crossley completed his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Melbourne, majoring in genetics and microbiology, but also receiving academic awards for classical languages. After a year as a tutor in residence at Queen’s College, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and carried out his doctorate at Oxford University. He received Magdalen College’s Edward Chapman research award for this work. Following a post-doctoral period in Oxford he took a research position at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Children’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School.
He later returned to the University of Sydney and established a laboratory investigating DNA-binding molecules and gene control. He has led Australian research teams funded by the US National Institutes of Health, the Australian Research Council (ARC), and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project and Program Grants. His research has been recognized by several awards including the Australian Academy of Science’s Gottschalk Medal and the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s Roche Medal.
He is a committed undergraduate and post-graduate teacher and has received a Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Supervision. While maintaining his research and teaching he has made contributions to administration, serving as the Acting Dean of Science throughout 2004, then as the Director of Research in the University’s College of Sciences and Technology, and from 2006 to the end of 2008 as the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research. He has worked to remove obstacles to success in research and to build the University’s performance. The researchers at the University are to be congratulated on their outstanding performance in recent years, with the University now ranked first in important research indicators, such as ARC and NHMRC project grants, and in national data on publications and income.
Please click on the 'Related Website' link above for full details of Merlin's lab (or if that link is not visible copy and paste in this address http://www.mmb.usyd.edu.au/crossley/index.htm).
CURRICULUM VITAE
Appointments
1990-1 Post-doctoral Researcher, Laboratory of Prof. George Brownlee, FRS, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, Oxford University
1991-5 Post-doctoral Researcher, Laboratory of Prof. Stuart Orkin, Children’s Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Center, Harvard University
1995-7 Lecturer, Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Sydney
1998-2002 Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Sydney
2002-4 Associate Professor, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney
2004 Acting Dean of Science, University of Sydney
2005 Professor of Molecular Genetics, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney
2005 Director of Research, College of Sciences and Technology, University of Sydney
2006-present Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of Sydney
Research goals
To identify regulatory mechanisms to turn genes on and off
To thereby devise new strategies for the treatment of diseases, such as, sickle cell anaemia and leukaemia
Grants
1996-present Continuous Project Grant support from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council
2003-6 Lead investigator on a grant from the American National Institutes of Health
2006-10 Lead investigator on a National Health and Medical Research Council Program Grant
Publications
See below for recent publications
Research prizes
1998 Australian Life Sciences Research Award, Beckman Coulter and Lorne Genome Conference
1999 Roche Medal, Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2000 Sir Edgeworth David Medal, Royal Society of NSW
2002 Eppendorf South Pacific Award for the Young Australian Investigator, Lorne Genome Conference
2002 Gottschalk Medal for research in medical science, Australian Academy of Science
2005 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Research Student Supervision
Service to the profession
1997-9 NSW representative for the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2000-4 Honorary Secretary of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2001 Convenor and Chair of the Organizing Committee for the Lorne Genome Conference
2002-present International Scientific Committee for the Asian Conference on Transcription
2002-6 Honorary Treasurer and Board Member, Lorne Genome Conference Inc.
2006 Chair of Biochemistry Panel 1a of the National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant Review Panels
Contributions to scientific and medical education
1995-present Undergraduate teaching in the B.Med.Sci. and B.Sc. degrees
1996 Co-author of Molecular Biology through Questions, McGraw-Hill
1996-present Supervision of 23 Honours students and 17 PhD students (6 currently enrolled)
1996-present Examiner for more than 25 PhD theses
2002-3 Director of the B.Sc. Molecular Biology and Genetics Program
Education and awards
1976-81 Melbourne Grammar
1976 Entrance Scholarship
1977 Dux of Grimwade House (Junior School) and Rusden Scholarship
1981 Dux of School
1982-86 B.Sc. Hons University of Melbourne
1982 Queen’s College, Major Scholarship Division I
1983 J.F.W. Payne Exhibition in Biology
1984 Australian Society for Microbiology Scholarship, Dwight Prize for Genetics, John Grice Exhibition in Latin, Wyvern Essay Prize
1985 Australian Society for Microbiology Prize
1986 Douglas Howard Exhibition in Latin, Bryan Scholarship, Major Bartlett Scholarship, Roy and Iris Simmon’s Award for Microbiology Honours
1987-1990 Oxford University
1987-1990 Rhodes Scholarship
1987-1990 D.Phil. on the molecular genetics of Haemophilia B, supervised by Prof. George G. Brownlee, FRS, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology
1990 Edward Chapman Research Prize, Magdalen College
Merlin Crossley completed his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Melbourne, majoring in genetics and microbiology, but also receiving academic awards for classical languages. After a year as a tutor in residence at Queen’s College, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and carried out his doctorate at Oxford University. He received Magdalen College’s Edward Chapman research award for this work. Following a post-doctoral period in Oxford he took a research position at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Children’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School.
He later returned to the University of Sydney and established a laboratory investigating DNA-binding molecules and gene control. He has led Australian research teams funded by the US National Institutes of Health, the Australian Research Council (ARC), and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project and Program Grants. His research has been recognized by several awards including the Australian Academy of Science’s Gottschalk Medal and the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s Roche Medal.
He is a committed undergraduate and post-graduate teacher and has received a Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Supervision. While maintaining his research and teaching he has made contributions to administration, serving as the Acting Dean of Science throughout 2004, then as the Director of Research in the University’s College of Sciences and Technology, and from 2006 to the end of 2008 as the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research. He has worked to remove obstacles to success in research and to build the University’s performance. The researchers at the University are to be congratulated on their outstanding performance in recent years, with the University now ranked first in important research indicators, such as ARC and NHMRC project grants, and in national data on publications and income.
Please click on the 'Related Website' link above for full details of Merlin's lab (or if that link is not visible copy and paste in this address http://www.mmb.usyd.edu.au/crossley/index.htm).
CURRICULUM VITAE
Appointments
1990-1 Post-doctoral Researcher, Laboratory of Prof. George Brownlee, FRS, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, Oxford University
1991-5 Post-doctoral Researcher, Laboratory of Prof. Stuart Orkin, Children’s Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Center, Harvard University
1995-7 Lecturer, Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Sydney
1998-2002 Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Sydney
2002-4 Associate Professor, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney
2004 Acting Dean of Science, University of Sydney
2005 Professor of Molecular Genetics, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney
2005 Director of Research, College of Sciences and Technology, University of Sydney
2006-present Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of Sydney
Research goals
To identify regulatory mechanisms to turn genes on and off
To thereby devise new strategies for the treatment of diseases, such as, sickle cell anaemia and leukaemia
Grants
1996-present Continuous Project Grant support from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council
2003-6 Lead investigator on a grant from the American National Institutes of Health
2006-10 Lead investigator on a National Health and Medical Research Council Program Grant
Publications
See below for recent publications
Research prizes
1998 Australian Life Sciences Research Award, Beckman Coulter and Lorne Genome Conference
1999 Roche Medal, Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2000 Sir Edgeworth David Medal, Royal Society of NSW
2002 Eppendorf South Pacific Award for the Young Australian Investigator, Lorne Genome Conference
2002 Gottschalk Medal for research in medical science, Australian Academy of Science
2005 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Research Student Supervision
Service to the profession
1997-9 NSW representative for the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2000-4 Honorary Secretary of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2001 Convenor and Chair of the Organizing Committee for the Lorne Genome Conference
2002-present International Scientific Committee for the Asian Conference on Transcription
2002-6 Honorary Treasurer and Board Member, Lorne Genome Conference Inc.
2006 Chair of Biochemistry Panel 1a of the National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant Review Panels
Contributions to scientific and medical education
1995-present Undergraduate teaching in the B.Med.Sci. and B.Sc. degrees
1996 Co-author of Molecular Biology through Questions, McGraw-Hill
1996-present Supervision of 23 Honours students and 17 PhD students (6 currently enrolled)
1996-present Examiner for more than 25 PhD theses
2002-3 Director of the B.Sc. Molecular Biology and Genetics Program
Education and awards
1976-81 Melbourne Grammar
1976 Entrance Scholarship
1977 Dux of Grimwade House (Junior School) and Rusden Scholarship
1981 Dux of School
1982-86 B.Sc. Hons University of Melbourne
1982 Queen’s College, Major Scholarship Division I
1983 J.F.W. Payne Exhibition in Biology
1984 Australian Society for Microbiology Scholarship, Dwight Prize for Genetics, John Grice Exhibition in Latin, Wyvern Essay Prize
1985 Australian Society for Microbiology Prize
1986 Douglas Howard Exhibition in Latin, Bryan Scholarship, Major Bartlett Scholarship, Roy and Iris Simmon’s Award for Microbiology Honours
1987-1990 Oxford University
1987-1990 Rhodes Scholarship
1987-1990 D.Phil. on the molecular genetics of Haemophilia B, supervised by Prof. George G. Brownlee, FRS, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology
1990 Edward Chapman Research Prize, Magdalen College
- Eaton, S, Funnell, A, Sue, N, Nicholas, H, Pearson, R, Crossley, M. A network of Kruppel-like Factors (Klfs): Klf8 is repressed by Klf3 and activated by Klf1 in vivo. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2008; 283:26937-47 [Abstract]
- Mackay, J, Sunde, M, Lowry, J, Crossley, M, Matthews, J. Response to Chatr-aryamontri et al.: Protein interactions: to believe or not to believe?. Trends in biochemical sciences. 2008. p. 242-243. [Abstract]
- Sue, N, Jack, B, Eaton, S, Pearson, R, Funnell, A, Turner, J, Czolij, R, Denyer, G, Bao, S, Molero-Navajas, J, Perkins, A, Fujiwara, Y, Orkin, S, Bell-Anderson, K, Crossley, M. Targeted disruption of the Basic Kruppel-like Factor (Klf3) gene reveals a role in adipogenesis. Molecular and cellular biology. 2008; 28:3967-78 [Abstract]
- Keys, J, Tallack, M, Zhan, Y, Papathanasiou, P, Goodnow, C, Gaensler, K, Crossley, M, Dekker, J, Perkins, A. A mechanism for Ikaros regulation of human globin gene switching. British journal of haematology. 2008; 141:398-406 [Abstract]
- Endersby, R, Majewski, I, Winteringham, L, Beaumont, J, Samuels, A, Scaife, R, Lim, E, Crossley, M, Klinken, S, Lalonde, J. Hls5 regulates erythroid differentiation by modulating GATA-1 activity. Blood. 2008; 111:1946-50 [Abstract]
- Nicholas, H, Lowry, J, Wu, T, Crossley, M. The Caenorhabditis elegans Protein CTBP-1 Defines a New Group of THAP Domain-Containing CtBP Corepressors. Journal of molecular biology. 2008; 375:1-11 [Abstract]
- Pearson, R, Fleetwood, J, Eaton, S, Crossley, M, Bao, S. Kruppel-like transcription factors: A functional family. The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology. 2008; 40:1996-2001 [Abstract]
- Mackay, J, Sunde, M, Lowry, J, Crossley, M, Matthews, J. Protein interactions: is seeing believing?. Trends in biochemical sciences. 2007. p. 530-1. [Abstract]
- Quinlan, K, Verger, A, Yaswen, P, Crossley, M. Amplification of zinc finger gene 217 (ZNF217) and cancer: When good fingers go bad. Biochimica et biophysica acta. 2007; 1775:333-340 [Abstract]
- Pagan, J, Arnold, J, Hanchard, K, Kumar, R, Bruno, T, Jones, M, Richard, D, Forrest, A, Spurdle, A, Verdin, E, Crossley, M, Fanciulli, M, Chenevix-Trench, G, Young, D, Khanna, K. A novel corepressor, BCoR-L1, represses transcription through an interaction with CtBP. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2007; 282:15248-15257 [Abstract]
- Funnell, A, Maloney, C, Thompson, L, Keys, J, Tallack, M, Perkins, A, Crossley, M. Erythroid Krüppel-like factor directly activates the basic Krüppel-like factor gene in erythroid cells. Molecular and cellular biology. 2007; 27:2777-90 [Abstract]
- Liew, C, Crossley, M, Mackay, J, Nicholas, H. Solution Structure of the THAP Domain from Caenorhabditis elegans C-terminal Binding Protein (CtBP). Journal of molecular biology. 2007; 366:382-90 [Abstract]
- Gamsjaeger, R, Liew, C, Loughlin, F, Crossley, M, Mackay, J. Sticky fingers: zinc-fingers as protein-recognition motifs. Trends in biochemical sciences. 2007; 32:63-70 [Abstract]
- Grant, R, Crossley, M, Mackay, J. Zinc-finger Genes. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. 2007; 0:1-8
- Quinlan, K, Verger, A, Kwok, A, Lee, S, Perdomo, J, Nardini, M, Bolognesi, M, Crossley, M. The role of the C-terminal binding protein PXDLS motif binding cleft in protein interactions and transcriptional repression. Molecular and cellular biology. 2006; 26:8202-13 [Abstract]
- Quinlan, K, Nardini, M, Verger, A, Francescato, P, Yaswen, P, Corda, D, Bolognesi, M, Crossley, M. Specific recognition of ZNF217 and other zinc-finger proteins at a surface groove of CtBPs. Molecular and cellular biology. 2006; 26:8159-72 [Abstract]
- Liew, C, Rand, K, Simpson, R, Yung, W, Mansfield, R, Crossley, M, Proetorius-Ibba, M, Nerlov, C, Poulsen, F, Mackay, J. Molecular analysis of the interaction between the hematopoietic master transcription factors GATA-1 and PU.1. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2006; 281:28296-306 [Abstract]
- Stankovic-Valentin, N, Verger, A, Deltour-Balerdi, S, Quinlan, K, Crossley, M, Leprince, D. A L225A substitution in the human tumour suppressor HIC1 abolishes its interaction with the corepressor CtBP. The F E B S Journal (Print Edition). 2006; 273:2879-90 [Abstract]
- Verger, A, Quinlan, K, Crofts, L, Spanò, S, Corda, D, Kable, E, Braet, F, Crossley, M. Mechanisms directing the nuclear localization of the CtBP family proteins. Molecular and cellular biology. 2006; 26:4882-94 [Abstract]
- van Vliet, J, Crofts, L, Quinlan, K, Czolij, R, Perkins, A, Crossley, M. Human KLF17 is a new member of the Sp/KLF family of transcription factors. Genomics. 2006; 87:474-82 [Abstract]
- Perdomo, J, Verger, A, Turner, J, Crossley, M. Role for SUMO modification in facilitating transcriptional repression by BKLF. Molecular and cellular biology. 2005; 25:1549-59 [Abstract]
- Sharpe, B, Liew, C, Kwan, A, Wilce, J, Crossley, M, Matthews, J, Mackay, J. Assessment of the robustness of a serendipitous zinc binding fold: mutagenesis and protein grafting. Structure (London, England). 2005; 13:257-66 [Abstract]
- Marreiros, A, Dudgeon, K, Dao, V, Grimm, M, Czolij, R, Crossley, M, Jackson, P. KAI1 promoter activity is dependent on p53, junB and AP2: evidence for a possible mechanism underlying loss of KAI1 expression in cancer cells. Oncogene. 2005; 24:637-649 [Abstract]
- Liew, C, Simpson, R, Kwan, A, Crofts, L, Loughlin, F, Matthews, J, Crossley, M, Mackay, J. Zinc fingers as protein recognition motifs: structural basis for the GATA-1/friend of GATA interaction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2005; 102:583-8 [Abstract]
- Westman, B, Perdomo, J, Matthews, J, Crossley, M, Mackay, J. Structural studies on a protein-binding zinc-finger domain of Eos reveal both similarities and differences to classical zinc fingers. Biochemistry. 2004; 43:13318-27 [Abstract]
- Simpson, R, Yi Lee, S, Bartle, N, Sum, E, Visvader, J, Matthews, J, Mackay, J, Crossley, M. A classic zinc finger from friend of GATA mediates an interaction with the coiled-coil of transforming acidic coiled-coil 3. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2004; 279:39789-97 [Abstract]
- Verger, A, Crossley, M. Chromatin modifiers in transcription and DNA repair. Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS. 2004; 61:2154-62 [Abstract]
- Luo, Q, Ma, X, Wahl, S, Bieker, J, Crossley, M, Montaner, L. Activation and repression of interleukin-12 p40 transcription by erythroid Kruppel-like factor in macrophages. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2004; 279:18451-6 [Abstract]
- Westman, B, Perdomo, J, Sunde, M, Crossley, M, Mackay, J. The C-terminal domain of Eos forms a high order complex in solution. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2003; 278:42419-26 [Abstract]
- Kwan, A, Czolij, R, Mackay, J, Crossley, M. Pentaprobe: a comprehensive sequence for the one-step detection of DNA-binding activities. Nucleic acids research. 2003; 31:e124 [Abstract]
- Simpson, R, Cram, E, Czolij, R, Matthews, J, Crossley, M, Mackay, J. CCHX zinc finger derivatives retain the ability to bind Zn(II) and mediate protein-DNA interactions. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2003; 278:28011-8 [Abstract]
- Kwan, A, Gell, D, Verger, A, Crossley, M, Matthews, J, Mackay, J. Engineering a protein scaffold from a PHD finger. Structure (London, England : 1993). 2003; 11:803-13 [Abstract]
- Eisbacher, M, Holmes, M, Newton, A, Hogg, P, Khachigian, L, Crossley, M, Chong, B. Protein-protein interaction between Fli-1 and GATA-1 mediates synergistic expression of megakaryocyte-specific genes through cooperative DNA binding. Molecular and cellular biology. 2003; 23:3427-41 [Abstract]
- Verger, A, Perdomo, J, Crossley, M. Modification with SUMO. A role in transcriptional regulation. EMBO reports. 2003; 4:137-42 [Abstract]
- Marreiros, A, Czolij, R, Yardley, G, Crossley, M, Jackson, P. Identification of regulatory regions within the KAI1 promoter: a role for binding of AP1, AP2 and p53. Gene. 2003; 302:155-64 [Abstract]
- Crossley, M. Unscrambling the genome. Genome biology. 2003; 4:320 [Abstract]
- Perdomo, J, Crossley, M. The Ikaros family protein Eos associates with C-terminal-binding protein corepressors. European journal of biochemistry / FEBS. 2002; 269:5885-92 [Abstract]
- Kowalski, K, Liew, C, Matthews, J, Gell, D, Crossley, M, Mackay, J. Characterization of the conserved interaction between GATA and FOG family proteins. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2002; 277:35720-9 [Abstract]
- Sharpe, B, Matthews, J, Kwan, A, Newton, A, Gell, D, Crossley, M, Mackay, J. A new zinc binding fold underlines the versatility of zinc binding modules in protein evolution. Structure (London, England : 1993). 2002; 10:639-48 [Abstract]
- Crossley, M. Genome packaging and expression. Genome biology. 2002; 3:reports4014 [Abstract]
Gene Expression Regulation; Transcription Factors; Nuclear Proteins; Proteins; DNA-Binding Proteins; Phosphoproteins; Molecular Biology; Developmental