Chemistry & Biochemistry

Crystal Young-Erdos

Associate Professor of Chemistry

Research Interests

My primary research involves understanding how DEAD-box proteins, an essential family of RNA-dependent ATPases that are conserved in both sequence and structure, achieve their unique substrate specificity. To that effect, we are investigating the N- and C-termini extensions and binding protein co-factors of a yeast DEAD-box protein that is orthologous to a cancer-implicated DEAD-box protein in humans. My undergraduate researchers and I use a combination of biochemistry, molecular biology, and yeast genetics to tackle our research questions.

Additional research in my lab involves investigating the physiological stress response in both dogs and their humans that live on Eckerd’s campus. Like other projects in my lab, this research involves undergraduate students from experimental design to test for salivary cortisol levels to manuscript preparation.

Courses Taught

• CH 121 General Chemistry I
• CH 122 General Chemistry II
• CH 315 Biochemistry I
• CH 417/418 Biochemistry II
• CH 410 Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar

Select Publications

• Khoshnevis, S.; Askensasy, I.; Dattolo, MD; Young-Erdos, CL; Stroupe, ME; Karbstein, K. The DEAD-box Protein Rok1 Orchestrates 40S and 60S Ribosome Assembly by Promoting the Release of Rrp5 from Pre-40S Ribosomes to Allow for 60S Maturation. PLoS Biol. 2016, 14, e1002480
• Young, C.L.; Khoshnevis, S.; Karbstein, K. Cofactor-dependent specificity of a DEAD-box protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2013, 110, 2668-76.
• Strunk, B.S.; Novak, M.N.; Young, C.L.; Karbstein, K. A translation-like cycle is a quality control checkpoint for maturing 40S ribosome subunits.  Cell. 2012,150, 111-21.
• Young, C.L.; Karbstein, K. Analysis of co-factor effects on RNA helicases.  Methods Enzymol. 2012, 511, 213-237.
• Young, C.L.; Karbstein, K. The roles of S1 RNA-binding domains in Rrp5’s interactions with pre-rRNA.  RNA. 2011, 17, 512-521.