We seek to understand how genome instability impacts cells, tissues, and organisms during development, reproduction, cancer and evolution.
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Publications
Research Summary
Genetics and Genomics, Evolutionary Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology
Zebrafish, Human cell lines, Yeast, Mice, Non-human primate cell lines
The Gerton lab studies chromosomes and their integrity and function. Defects in chromosome stability underlie many human health challenges such as cancer, aging, birth defects, and infertility. Changes in chromosome structure and number are also part of evolution and speciation. We investigate DNA sequences, proteins and processes responsible for the upkeep of chromosomes. We are especially interested in repetitive DNA, since it can drive change.
The Gerton lab is part of the international effort to assemble human and nonhuman primate chromosomes from telomere to telomere. This work forms a foundation for exploring structural variation, evolution, and function of chromosomes, including regions like centromeres and ribosomal DNA. The Gerton lab uses multiple research organisms and interdisciplinary approaches to discover fundamental principles of genetic and epigenetic inheritance.
Principal Investigator
Investigator and Dean of the Graduate School
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
Jennifer Gerton, Ph.D., is a molecular and cellular biologist focusing on chromosome dynamics and behavior during cell division. She joined the Institute in 2002 and currently serves as an Investigator.
The Gerton lab is interested in how repetitive DNA drives structural variation and rapid evolution of chromosomes. She led a collaborative team that discovered how human Robertsonian translocations are driven by ribosomal DNA and surrounding repeats. She speculates that the lessons learned can explain chromosome evolution more broadly.
Investigator Jennifer Gerton has been at the Institute for 20 years. Listen as she explains why the support here makes it a great place for someone who is just starting a lab.
News
08 October 2025
Stowers scientists identify “off” switches carried on some clusters of ribosomal RNA genes that can be passed from parent to child, a unique “fingerprint” of cluster size and activity that may help keep ribosomal RNA production in check.
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Press Release
23 September 2025
Robertsonian chromosomes are associated with infertility and Down syndrome, now cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology has unveiled the first comprehensive picture of their genetic rearrangements.
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News
11 August 2025
Tamara Potapova, Ph.D., a scientist in the Gerton Lab, is investigating the biology behind chromosome instability — a hallmark of cancer and reproductive aging.
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Chromosome-specific epigenetic control and transmission of ribosomal DNA arrays in Hominidae genomes
Potapova TA, Kostos P, McKinney S, Borchers M, Haug J, Guarracino A, Solar SJ, Mattingly M, Anez GM, de Lima LG, Wang Y, Zhao C, Hall K, Gogol M, Hoffman S, Antipov D, Rhie A, Cechova M, Miga KH, Garrison E, Phillippy AM, Gerton JL. Cell Genom. 2025:101031.
The formation and propagation of human Robertsonian chromosomes
de Lima LG, Guarracino A, Koren S, Potapova T, McKinney S, Rhie A, Solar SJ, Seidel C, Fagen B, Walenz BP, Bouffard GG, Brooks SY, Peterson M, Hall K, Crawford J, Young AC, Pickett BD, Garrison E, Phillippy AM, Gerton JL. Nature. 2024.
A working model for the formation of Robertsonian chromosomes
Gerton JL. J Cell Sci. 2024;137:jcsw261912.
Defining a core configuration for human centromeres during mitosis
Sen Gupta A, Seidel C, Tsuchiya D, McKinney S, Yu Z, Smith SE, Unruh JR, Gerton JL. Nat Commun. 2023;14:7947 doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-42980-2.
The complete sequence of a human genome
Nurk S, Koren S, Rhie A, Rautiainen M, Bzikadze AV, Mikheenko A, Vollger MR, Altemose N, Uralsky L, Gershman A, Aganezov S, Hoyt SJ, Diekhans M, Logsdon GA, Alonge M, Antonarakis SE, Borchers M, Bouffard GG, Brooks SY, Caldas GV, Chen NC, Cheng H, Chin CS, Chow W, de Lima LG, Dishuck PC, Durbin R, Dvorkina T, Fiddes IT, Formenti G, Fulton RS, Fungtammasan A, Garrison E, Grady PGS, Graves-Lindsay TA, Hall IM, Hansen NF, Hartley GA, Haukness M, Howe K, Hunkapiller MW, Jain C, Jain M, Jarvis ED, Kerpedjiev P, Kirsche M, Kolmogorov M, Korlach J, Kremitzki M, Li H, Maduro VV, Marschall T, McCartney AM, McDaniel J, Miller DE, Mullikin JC, Myers EW, Olson ND, Paten B, Peluso P, Pevzner PA, Porubsky D, Potapova T, Rogaev EI, Rosenfeld JA, Salzberg SL, Schneider VA, Sedlazeck FJ, Shafin K, Shew CJ, Shumate A, Sims Y, Smit AFA, Soto DC, Sovic I, Storer JM, Streets A, Sullivan BA, Thibaud-Nissen F, Torrance J, Wagner J, Walenz BP, Wenger A, Wood JMD, Xiao C, Yan SM, Young AC, Zarate S, Surti U, McCoy RC, Dennis MY, Alexandrov IA, Gerton JL, O'Neill RJ, Timp W, Zook JM, Schatz MC, Eichler EE, Miga KH, Phillippy AM. Science. 2022;376:44-53.
Telomere-to-telomere assembly of a complete human X chromosome
Miga KH, Koren S, Rhie A, Vollger MR, Gershman A, Bzikadze A, Brooks S, Howe E, Porubsky D, Logsdon GA, Schneider VA, Potapova T, Wood J, Chow W, Armstrong J, Fredrickson J, Pak E, Tigyi K, Kremitzki M, Markovic C, Maduro V, Dutra A, Bouffard GG, Chang AM, Hansen NF, Wilfert AB, Thibaud-Nissen F, Schmitt AD, Belton JM, Selvaraj S, Dennis MY, Soto DC, Sahasrabudhe R, Kaya G, Quick J, Loman NJ, Holmes N, Loose M, Surti U, Risques RA, Graves Lindsay TA, Fulton R, Hall I, Paten B, Howe K, Timp W, Young A, Mullikin JC, Pevzner PA, Gerton JL, Sullivan BA, Eichler EE, Phillippy AM. Nature. 2020;585:79-84.
