Maintaining Genome Stability: Genetic Recombination, DNA Repair and Chromosome Biology Initiated by DNA Misfolding

在每个活细胞中，遗传物质(DNA)都存在于染色体中。当细胞分裂时，它们的染色体必须被复制并正确定位在两个新的子细胞中。不正确的复制或定位可能会导致遗传病、衰老或癌症。我们计划研究细胞如何确保复制正确发生，并且不受DNA损伤的阻碍。为了做到这一点，我们将有目的地使用DNA回文来破坏染色体，或者使用重复DNA来破坏染色体，并在显微镜下以及DNA分子本身的水平上可视化修复。我们还计划了解细胞如何在细胞分裂时定位两条新染色体。为此，我们需要确定分离和定位染色体的蛋白质机制的组件，并通过分离定位错误的染色体的突变体来做到这一点。

In every living cell, the genetic material (DNA) lies within the chromosomes. As cells divide, their chromosomes must be copied and correctly positioned in the two new daughter cells. Incorrect copying or positioning can result in genetic disease, aging or cancer. We plan to study how cells ensure that copying occurs correctly and is not impeded by DNA damage. To do this, we will purposefully break chromosomes using DNA palindromes or damage chromosomes using repetitive DNA and visualise repair under the microscope as well as at the level of the DNA molecule itself. We also plan to understand how the cell positions the two new chromosomes as the cell divides. For this purpose, we will need to identify components of the protein machinery that separates and positions chromosomes and will do so by isolating mutants with incorrectly positioned chromosomes.