Genome Damage and Stability Centre (GDSC)

Prof. Tim Humphrey and Dr. Rhys Morgan both gave talks at the recent "Science Café" hosted by the Sussex Cancer Fund in partnership with the Macmillan Horizon Centre. A fabulous series of short talks for anyone interested in hearing a little more about the latest developments in cancer research.

DNA2 enables growth by restricting recombination-restarted replication - Nature DNA2 suppresses recombination-restarted replication and checkpoint activation at stalled forks, and its loss triggers recombination-dependent synthesis, checkpoint signalling and cell-cycle exit, high...

#New-Paper Rass laboratory reveal DNA2 to be a gatekeeper to homologous recombination at stalled DNA replication forks, rrequired to stave off cellular senescence. Their findings provide a molecular explanation for the association of DNA2 with primordial dwarfism and cancer.

doi.org/10.1038/s415...

The balance between B55α and Greatwall expression levels predicts sensitivity to Greatwall inhibition in cancer cells Nature Communications - The authors develop and characterise a selective Greatwall inhibitor, C-604, and show that its cytotoxicity stems from PP2A-B55α hyperactivation. They identify...

#NEW_PAPER
The Hochegger laboratory + collaborators investigate the sensitivity of cancer cells to a highly selective inhibitor of human Greatwall kinase (GWL) + the BB5alpha-to-GWL expression ratio is a predictive biomarker for the cellular reponse to Greatwall-targeted therapeutics. rdcu.be/eC4Hf

Centromere protection requires strict mitotic inactivation of the Bloom syndrome helicase complex Nature Communications - Centromeres play an essential function in faithful chromosome segregation. Here, the authors demonstrate the mechanism by which human cells dynamically modulate the activity...

#NEW_PAPER

In this study, the Chan Lab uncover the molecular mechanisms by which human cells safeguard centromeric chromatin during mitosis, via tight dynamic control of the Bloom Syndrome complex (BTRR).

rdcu.be/eCGxF

Sussex is the host for this year's South West Structural Biology Consortium meeting [we snuck in... !]. Looking forward to hearing talks from Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Portsmouth, Southampton and of course, Sussex!

Great post-doctoral opportunity in the laboratory of Dr Jasmeen Oberoi — who has just joined us as a team leader in the GDSC.

Dr. Luke Yates, along with Prof. Zhang and Prof. Burgers, summarise our current mechanistic understanding of the DNA damage checkpoint; inc. structural studies of ATM and ATR and how these work together to prevent cancer.
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
@layates.bsky.social @crick.ac.uk @washu.bsky.social

Prof. Evi Soutoglou describing what happens when DNA breaks, and when to cut, and when not to — on Brighton seafront, as part of Soapbox Science 2025 — a public outreach platform that promote women and non-binary scientists and the science that they carry out. ‪@soapboxscience.bsky.social‬

We are pleased to annouce that a 3.5-year PhD position is available in the GDSC, for a project jointly supervised by Prof. Hochegger and Dr. Oliver. For additional details, inc. candidate eligibility, and how to apply:
www.sussex.ac.uk/study/fees-f...

Many congratulations to Dr. Will Foster on succesfully defending his PhD thesis on Greatwall Kinase (GWL); co-supervissed by Tony Oliver and Helfrid Hochegger.

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