The cell nucleus and its detailed structure has always represented an exciting cellular compartment and stimulated establishment of the new research areas and innovative methodologies. Plants represent important model systems with a high developmental plasticity and variable organization of their genomes, differing, e.g., in the genome size, proportion of repetitive elements or the chromosome numbers. Our research group integrates studies in the field of telomere biology, chromatin structure, DNA repair and epigenetics. Rapid progress of the cell biology occurred in line with development of super-resolution microscopy approaches and advanced assays to investigate chromatin organization, allowing a detailed insight into the spatial organization of individual nuclear subdomains and other functional elements, such as nucleolus, telomeres or clusters of ribosomal rRNA genes. In the proposed project, we will investigate the effect of molecular and environmental factors on telomere composition and telomerase regulation and decipher functional links between chromatin assembly and epigenetic memory in the telomere maintenance, representing a good measure of overall genome stability.

Sustainable Development Goals

Masaryk University is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to improve the conditions and quality of life on our planet by 2030.

Publications