Project 18 - Karl-Peter Hopfner

This project aims at elucidating how DNA double-strand breaks are detected, signalled and processed by the Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1-ATM axis. To achieve this, we will use a combination of cryo-EM, biochemistry and cell-based studies. In particular, we will functionally and structurally dissect catalytic and scaffolding roles of MRN in order to provide molecular mechanisms for its poorly understood, pleiotropic functions in DSB repair and chromatin architecture.