Myron Goodman
Chair, Molecular and Computational Biology Program
USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
In his quest to understand the molecular basis of genetic changes, Myron Goodman has become USC's master of mutations. His research shows that while most DNA mutations are bad for cells, sometimes they provide genetic advantages. When one cell develops an advantageous mutation, it can quickly repopulate an entire colony, creating countless beneficial biological changes.
Goodman has long studied molecular systems that read and copy DNA in E. Coli. In the process, he has made fundamental contributions to the understanding of both normal and aberrant DNA replications and repair, and to the origins of genetic change.
His discoveries have not only provided insight into a host of biological processes ranging from cell mutation to evolution, but also have pushed USC's life sciences research into new genetic frontiers.