PoL PhD and Postdoc Seminar

Date

Apr 15, 2026

Time

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Series

Physics of Life Seminar

Language

en

Main Topic

Biologie

Description

Please note the later start time at 13:00, the seminar follows the DIGS-ILS General Assembly scheduled at 11:00 am.

The Physics of Life (PoL) PhD and Postdoc seminar is a meeting where PoL early career scientists present their research to their peers. All are welcome! 

The seminar consists of two short talks by PhD students and/or Postdocs, each followed by a discussion in which speaker and attendants can exchange ideas, engage in scientific discussions and network with their fellow young scientists.

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The talks:

• Maria Kharlamova (Brugués Group): From single molecules to entire pathways: studying the interplay between chromatin mechanics and the choice of DNA repair pathway.

Abstract: The integrity of genetic information is crucial across different stages of complexity – from individual cells to entire organisms. A plethora of exo- and endogenous factors threaten the integrity of DNA structure: UV exposure, medical treatments, stalled replication forks, reactive oxygen species, and mitosis. Daily, cells incur thousands of lesions. Their accumulation disrupts essential processes like DNA transcription and replication. Unrepaired lesions can accelerate aging and result in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Therefore, maintaining genomic integrity and repairing DNA damage upon entering mitosis are essential. Of all lesions, double-stranded DNA breaks are the most severe. These breaks are mainly repaired either via faithful Homologous Recombination or via error-prone Non-homologous End Joining. However, the mechanism by which cells select a repair pathway remains unclear. Current research focuses on the single-stranded overhangs formed at the break site, but little is known about how the mechanics of damaged chromatin influence the choice of repair pathway. To study this, we use optical tweezers on isolated human chromosomes after treatments that induce DNA double-strand breaks. These chromosomes are then monitored in Xenopus laevis egg extracts arrested in metaphase to follow DNA repair. The resulting data will clarify how chromatin mechanics impact the selection of the DNA repair pathway.

• Georg Csukovich (Ebisuya Group): The Clocks are Ticking: Untangling Developmental Tempo

Abstract: The term “developmental tempo” can mean a different thing to different people. We try to analyse three key concepts of embryonic development in one system: the segmentation clock, the HOX timer, and the cell cycle. In vivo, these processes have to be tightly controlled to ensure proper development. To see how the three processes may be connected and regulated collectively, I am doing chemical library screens of epigenetic and metabolic targets to investigate the different mechanisms regulating the different developmental clocks. We use iPSC-derived neuro-mesodermal progenitor cells (NMPs) for these screens. NMPs are extremely useful, as they are not only the common progenitor of the involved tissues, but they also allow us to assess all three developmental clocks in one cell type using the same differentiation protocol.

 

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For those who cannot join on site, a Zoom option will be available:

https://tu-dresden.zoom-x.de/j/63359118163?pwd=XNnQgKbbSzWItRfok1GxvDHeVaIS9E.1
Meeting ID: 633 5911 8163
Passcode: @T206x=%

Links

• See this event on the Physics of Life website

Last modified: Apr 14, 2026, 7:37:12 AM