DNA integrity is constantly threatened by radiation, chemicals and our own metabolism. Cells have developed clever ways to find and repair DNA damage, but these mechanisms can fail, causing premature ageing, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer.
Considerable progress has been made to identify the factors involved in DNA repair. However, the intricacy of these protein complexes and the arrangement of our genome into a dynamic three-dimensional structure, chromatin, hinder a full understanding of these processes.
We aim to uncover the precise mechanisms by which this molecular machinery operates. This involves identifying the specific proteins involved, elucidating their structures, and understanding how they work together to maintain genomic integrity.
Our lab combines biochemistry, structural biology, single-molecule imaging, biophysics, and functional studies to understand the composition, architecture and dynamics of DNA repair complexes in the context of chromatin.
Our goal is to provide mechanistic insights into the dynamic response to DNA damage to inform future prevention strategies and therapeutic approaches.
