The Molecular Radiation Biology group is interested in unraveling mechanisms of genome maintenance (link to picture, or this picture on the page itself). We study the mechanism of homologous recombination (link to a model picture), the exchange of DNA strands between homologous DNA molecules because it is a versatile pathway of DNA repair that also underpins DNA replication. In addition, we analyze DNA mismatch repair (link to picture/project page), interstrand DNA crosslink (link to picture/project page) and cell cycle checkpoint mechanisms (link to picture/project page). Our work spans the experimental range from animal models to single molecule imaging. Integrating information through this spectrum of techniques has a synergistic effect on our ability to understand fundamental biological processes. 

Our group is a member of the Cancer Genomics Center sponsored by the Netherlands Genomics Initiative and the EU Integrated Project DNA Damage Response and Repair Mechanisms.

Our current research involves three main approaches:

• Mechanisms of action of biological nanomachines. Analyses of biomolecules and their complexes with DNA using single molecule probes, fluorescence and structural biology techniques.
• Interplay between genome maintenance pathways in living cells. Using confocal videomicroscopy and local DNA damage induction techniques to analyze the interplay between DNA recombination and replication.
• Consequences of defects in genome maintenance pathways for the whole organism.  Mouse genetics approaches are used, including knockout and knockin approaches to analyze the consequences of defect in (multiple) genome maintenance pathways at the animal level.

More detailed information can be found on the project pages.

The Molecular Radiation Biology group is headed by

Dr. Jeroen Essers
Prof. dr. Roland Kanaar
Dr. Joyce Lebbink
Dr. Claire Wyman