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Barry, Edward G.

Professor (Emeritus)

439 Wilson Hall
(919) 962-6933 (office)

My research involves mostly studies of chromosome rearrangements and, to a lesser degree, the investigation of sensitives, resistants, and killers of the Spore killer phenotype obtained in wild-collected Neurospora species. The cytogenetic investigations make use of particular rearrangements to study the activities of genes by making duplications or deficiencies or new orders of genes on the chromosomes. The Spore killer studies show that although the main effect of the killer activity is a meiotic drive mechanism that functions during meiosis (B. Turner and D. Perkins research studies) there is also a somatic or vegetative reaction that appears to indicate, at this stage of the studies, that the sensitive nuclei will eliminate the killer nuclei in a contest in heterokaryons composed of the two types.

Figure 1. Chromosomal rearrangement involved in the spore-killer phenotype of Neurospora.