Research Projects

Centromeres are prominent genomic features, readily recognisable as the primary constriction on mitotic chromosomes. They play an essential role in chromosome segregation by connecting chromosomes to the mitotic spindle. Centromeres are also among the best studied examples of epigenetic inheritance and determined by the presence of the centromere-specific H3-variant CENP-A. However, a thorough understanding of how centromere chromatin and binding factors interact with other cellular processes like DNA replication and transcription are understudied. We hypothesise that members of the transcriptional machinery and chromatin remodellers are particularly important to establish and maintain centromere identity across cell generations. The aim of this project is to characterise protein candidates that have recently been identified mass spectrometry (MS). We will take advantage of an existing tool kit in the lab, like using CRISPR-genome editing to endogenously tag proteins and established cell lines. These candidates will be validated as centromere factors through microscopy and depleted from cells to study the resulting phenotypes