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DNA Repair & Mitochondrial Damage Group
Figure 2: Micrograph of the free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. (Picture by Wendy Boyd, Duke University)
In vitro techniques, cell culture systems and simple unicellular organisms continue to be crucial in elucidating mechanistic aspects of the formation and repair of DNA damage. Conversely, the ability to study DNA damage, and especially its repair, is limited in multicellular organisms. Some of the many advantages that Caenorhabditis elegans offers as a model organism (Figure 2) are being used to investigate the formation and removal of DNA lesions in the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes as functions of the genetic background and exposures to environmental stressors, including genotoxins. The group is also interested in how these processes are modulated by the aging process. The following major projects are currently being pursued:
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