Seminar

Understanding DNA repair and RNA degradation using Electron Microscopy

Oscar LLorca, PhD

Oscar Llorca´s group focuses upon using structural and functional studies to increase their understanding of the molecular mechanisms in key cellular processes regulated by dynamic protein-protein interactions within large macromolecular complexes. The unifying principle is to directly visualize regulatory interactions in macromolecular assemblies using electron microscopy (EM), cryoEM and image processing and to correlate the architecture and motions of these complexes with the characterization of their function. Currently, Dr. Llorca’s group concentrates its effort in two core projects: (A) Characterization of large macromolecular complexes involved in DNA and RNA transactions (DNA repair, DNA replication, chromatin remodelling and mRNA degradation), and (B) Defining the molecular and structural mechanisms that regulate the complement system and their role in disease, in collaboration with Prof. Santiago Rodríguez de Córdoba. During his lecture, Oscar Llorca will summarize the recent contributions of his research group on the elucidation of the structure and mechanisms of supramolecular complexes involved in DNA repair and mRNA degradation.