David L. Spector (born ) is a cell and molecular biologist best recognized for his research on
gene expression
Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product that enables it to produce end products, protein or non-coding RNA, and ultimately affect a phenotype, as the final effect. The ...
Spector was born in New York City. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
cell biology
Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and ...
from
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
in 1980. After completing his Ph.D. he accepted a position as Assistant Professor in the Department of
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemica ...
at
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is a medical school and research center in Houston, Texas, within the Texas Medical Center, the world's largest medical center. BCM is composed of four academic components: the School of Medicine, the Graduate Sc ...
in Houston, Texas. In 1985 he relocated to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and has been promoted through the ranks to his current position of Professor. In 2007 he was appointed Director of Research.
Professional activities
Spector is a pioneer in unraveling our understanding of the inner workings of the cell nucleus. His early investigations centered on the unusual
chromosome structure Eukaryotic chromosome structure refers to the levels of packaging from raw DNA molecules to the chromosomal structures seen during metaphase in mitosis or meiosis. Chromosomes contain long strands of DNA containing genetic information. Compared to ...
of
dinoflagellate
The dinoflagellates (Greek δῖνος ''dinos'' "whirling" and Latin ''flagellum'' "whip, scourge") are a monophyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum Dinoflagellata and are usually considered algae. Dinoflagellates are ...
s. Recent studies in his laboratory are focused on examining the organization and regulation of gene expression in living mammalian cells. His laboratory has developed approaches to elucidate the spatial and temporal aspects of gene expression and in identifying and characterizing the function of nuclear retained
long non-coding RNA
Long non-coding RNAs (long ncRNAs, lncRNA) are a type of RNA, generally defined as transcripts more than 200 nucleotides that are not translated into protein. This arbitrary limit distinguishes long ncRNAs from small non-coding RNAs, such as mic ...
s.
His most seminal research accomplishments include the direct visualization in living cells of the recruitment of factors involved in gene expression to active genes; the development of a biochemical fractionation approach to purify a sub-nuclear domain ( nuclear speckles) and characterize its protein constituents; the development of a live cell imaging system to visualize a stably integrated
genetic locus
In genetics, a locus (plural loci) is a specific, fixed position on a chromosome where a particular gene or genetic marker is located. Each chromosome carries many genes, with each gene occupying a different position or locus; in humans, the total ...
and follow in real-time its mRNA and protein products; the elucidation of a rapid-response mechanism of regulating gene expression through RNA nuclear retention; identification of a mechanism by which a single genetic locus can produce a long nuclear retained non-coding RNA and a small cytoplasmic
tRNA
Transfer RNA (abbreviated tRNA and formerly referred to as sRNA, for soluble RNA) is an adaptor molecule composed of RNA, typically 76 to 90 nucleotides in length (in eukaryotes), that serves as the physical link between the mRNA and the amino ac ...
-like transcript, the identification and characterization of a long nuclear retained non-coding RNA that is involved in organizing a sub-nuclear organelle (
paraspeckle
In cell biology, a paraspeckle is an irregularly shaped compartment of the cell, approximately 0.2-1 μm in size, found in the nucleus' interchromatin space. First documented in HeLa cells, where there are generally 10-30 per nucleus, Paraspeckl ...
s), and determining that knockout or knockdown of the lncRNA ''Malat1'' results in the differentiation of mammary tumors and a significant reduction in metastasis.
In addition, Spector has co-edited numerous microscopy techniques manuals (i.e. ''Basic Methods in Microscopy'', ''Live Cell Imaging: A Laboratory Manual''), and a treatise of ''The Nucleus'', that are used in laboratories throughout the world.