Structure-guided drug development for treatment of rifampin-resistant TB
X-ray crystallographic study of the mechanism of transcription
Cryo-EM to capture structures of macromoles in transcription process
X-ray crystal structure of RNA polymerase and DksA/ppGpp complex
Bacteriophage N4 RNA polymerase
Welcome to the Murakami Lab at Penn State University
Our research focus has been on revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying genome maintenance and gene expression (transcription and translation) in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes using structural biology (cryo-EM and cryo-ET) and biochemical approaches.
Latest news:
January 5, 2026: Pawan Bhatta, a postdoctoral scholar, joins the Murakami’s lab. Welcome Pawan.
January 2, 2026: George Fordjour received 2026 Richard L and Norma L McCarl Graduate Scholarship. Congratulations George.
December 19, 2025: Devin Hendrix, BMMB graduate student, joins the Murakami’s lab (co-mentored by Prof. Armache). Welcome Devin.
November 28, 2025: A paper reporting the structure and function of prokaryotic Argonaute is published (Nature Communications).
November 19, 2025: Shilpa Bera, BMMB graduate student, joins the Murakami’s lab. Welcome Shilpa.
November 1, 2025: Katsu Murakami is appointed to the Stanley R. Person Professorship of Molecular Biology (ECoS News).
September 4, 2025: A paper reporting the cryo-EM structure and RNA probing of archaeal ribosome is published (JBC).
August 20, 2025: Yun Song received the 2025 Neil C. Patel Changemaker Scholarship.
May 5, 2025: Jacob Orrico received the Gerard A. Hauser Award for best poster presentation at Penn State Undergraduate Exhibition.
