Research group: "Aberrant DNA bases and chromatin integrity"

Our research

Numerous lethal and mutagenic DNA lesions are formed upon exposure to endogenous and exogenous damaging agents. The estimated steady-state level of endogenous DNA damage in mammalian cells is high, about 20’000 lesions per cell per day. Aberrant DNA bases represent significant portion of endogenous DNA damage. To maintain the integrity of genetic information organized within chromatin, cells need to efficiently repair DNA. Accumulation of aberrant DNA bases has been tightly associated with aging, cancer development, as well as the onset of different neurological diseases. Aim of our research is to determine how presence of aberrant DNA bases influences essential cellular processes, like transcription and gene expression, as well as to identify novel factors that ensure efficient repair. By using multidisciplinary approaches (including biochemistry, cell biology, genomics, proteomics, 3D culturing, imaging, CRISPR/Cas9 editing, and computational biology tools) we focus on identification of pathomechanisms that lead to development of human diseases, in particular neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer, and which could potentially serve as basis for evolution of novel therapies.

Group members

Merdane Ezgi Aksu

Torvald Ask

Stefano Bradamante (https://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/stefano.bradamante)

Alessandro Brambilla

Sarah L. Fordyce Martin, PhD (http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/sarah.martin)

Kayla Mae Grooms

Boris Mihaljevic, PhD (https://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/boris.mihaljevic)

Nicola P. Montaldo, PhD (https://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/nicola.p.montaldo)

Milosz Rolinski (http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/milosz.rolinski)

Publications

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Barbara+van+Loon

Onsager Fellow

https://www.ntnu.edu/research/onsager-fellowship

Outstanding Academic Fellow

https://www.ntnu.edu/outstanding-academic-fellows-programme/2017-2021