Padraig Deighan

Dean of Science & Health/Associate Prof. of Biology

Employment

  • Postdoc Fellow, 2001-2003, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
  • Postdoc Fellow, 2003-2008, Harvard Medical School, Boston
  • Instructor in Microbiology, 2008-present, Harvard Medical School, Boston

What I Love About Emmanuel:

Community. Teaching. Research. Fun.

Ph.D., B.A. (mod), Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

  • BIOL1101  Life on Earth w/ labs
  • BIOL2115  Determinants of Health and Disease
  • BIOL3127  Microbiology w/ labs
  • BIOL4160  Senior Seminar
  • BIOL4194  Research Internship
  • Montero-Diez C, Deighan P, Osmundson J, Darst SA, Hochschild A. (2013) Phage-encoded inhibitor of Staphylococcus aureus transcription exerts context dependent effects on promoter function in a modified E. coli-based transcription system. J Bact In press.
  • Huang L, Jin J, Deighan P, Kiner E, McReynolds L, Lieberman J. (2013) Efficient and specific gene knockdown by small interfering RNAs produced in bacteria. Nat. Biotech. 31: 350-356. Highlighted in: Renewable RNAi. Nat. Biotech. 31: 319-320.
  • Twist KA, Campbell E, Deighan P, Nechaev S, Jain V, Geiduschek EP, Hochschild A, Darst S. (2011) Crystal structure of the bacteriophage T4 late-transcription co-activator gp33 with the β-subunit flap domain of E. coli RNA polymerase.  Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 108: 19961-19966.
  • Deighan P, Pukhrambam C, Nickels BE, Hochschild A. (2011) Initial transcribed region sequences influence the composition and functional properties of the bacterial elongation complex. Genes Dev 25: 77-88.
  • Rao X, Deighan P, Hua Z, Hu X, Wang J, Luo M, Wang J, Liang Y, Zhong G, Hochschild A, Shen L. (2009) A regulator from Chlamydia trachomatis modulates the activity of RNA polymerase through direct interaction with the beta subunit and the primary sigma subunit. Genes Dev 23: 1818-1829.
  • Deighan P, Diez CM, Leibman M, Hochschild A, Nickels BE. (2008) The bacteriophage lambda Q antiterminator protein contacts the beta-flap domain of RNA polymerase.  Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105: 15305-15310.
  • Deighan P, Hochschild, A. (2007) The bacteriophage lambda Q antiterminator protein regulates late gene expression as a stable component of the transcription elongation complex. Mol Microbiol 63: 911-920.
  • Deighan P, Hochschild, A. (2006) Conformational toggle triggers a modulator of RNA polymerase activity.  Trends Biochem Sci 31: 424-426.
  • Hinde P, Deighan P, Dorman CJ. (2005) Characterization of the detachable Rho-dependent transcription terminator of the fimE gene in Escherichia coli K-12.  J Bact 187: 8256-8266.
  • Gregory BD, Deighan P, Hochschild A. (2005) An artificial activator that contacts a normally occluded surface of the RNA polymerase holoenzyme.  J Mol Biol 353: 497-506.
  • *Beloin C, *Deighan P, Doyle M, Dorman CJ. (2003) Shigella flexneri 2a strain 2457T expresses three members of the H-NS-like protein family: characterization of the Sfh protein. Mol Genet Genomics 270: 66-77 (*equal contributions)
  • Deighan P, Beloin C, Dorman CJ. (2003) Three-way interactions among the Sfh, StpA and H-NS nucleoid-structuring proteins of Shigella flexneri 2a strain 2457T.  Mol Microbiol48: 1401-1416.
  • Dorman CJ, Deighan P. (2003) Regulation of gene expression by histone-like proteins in bacteria.  Curr Opin Genet Dev13: 179-184.
  • Free A, Porter ME, Deighan P, Dorman, CJ. (2001) Requirement for the molecular adapter function of StpA at the Escherichia coli bgl promoter depends upon the level of truncated H-NS protein.  Mol Microbiol42: 903-918.
  • Deighan P, Free A, Dorman CJ. (2000) A role for the Escherichia coli H NS-like protein StpA in OmpF porin expression through modulation of micF RNA stability.  Mol Microbiol 38: 126-139.
  • Emmanuel College Summer Research Program, 2013-2014
  • Wellcome Trust Prize Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 2001-2003
  • Wellcome Trust Prize PhD Studentship, 1997-2001
  • SmithKline Beecham Award [best research thesis], 1997
  • F.S. Stewart Award [first in class], 1997

Research training opportunities:
Research is fun, important, and gratifying. I have been performing research for 5 years at Trinity College and 9 years at Harvard and now I want you to teach you how to perform rigorous and relevant research! Enthusiastic individuals curious about basic research and who want to gain experience in the fields of genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology and microbiology should contact me for a chat. A minimum commitment of 12 hours per week spanning two semesters is expected. Trainees may also participate in Emmanuel's ten-week summer research program and perform projects for BIOL 4194/4195 classes.

Our research is performed at both our new lab at Emmanuel and in collaboration with our next-door-neighbors in the Hochschild Lab at Harvard Medical School.

During your research please expect to: take risks * make mistakes * learn a lot * laugh a lot.