Magnar Bjørås' group Cellular Responses to DNA Damage

Magnar BjøråsGroup leader
Magnar Bjørås
Group leader

Our main focus has been on repair of endogenous DNA base lesion repair mechanisms and genome stability. We have made major contributions to characterization of many new DNA repair enzymes from bacteria, yeast and mammalian. Our group has solved the atomic 3D-structure of many DNA-protein complexes revealing several new mechanisms of DNA base damage recognition and catalysis. We have also established research on the role of DNA base lesion repair in neurodegeneration, cognition and behavior, which is a new direction in the DNA repair field revealing novel functions beyond canonical DNA. Furthermore, we have established collaborations with clinicians to study the impact of DNA base lesion repair on diseases such as infections, heart failure, rare neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.

Projects:

  • Role of oxidative DNA base lesion repair in cancer. Project leader: Magnar Bjørås
  • Aberrant Oxidative DNA Modifications and DNA Structures in Genome Regulation. Project leaders: Magnar Bjørås
  • Bacterial Toxin-Antitoxin peptides in biological responses to DNA damage. Project leaders: Magnar Bjørås and James Booth
  • Pathomechanisms of lysosomal storage disorders in rare neurodegenerative diseases: Project leaders: Magnar Bjørås and Mirta Mittelstedt de Sousa
  • Applications of nanoparticle technology in genomics: Project leader: Magnar Bjørås

Contact information:

Professor Magnar Bjørås, Department of Microbiology Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet PO Box 4950 Nydalen NO-0424 Oslo, Norway Tel: +47 23074059, E-mail: magnar.bjoras@rr-research.no / magnar.bjoras@medisin.uio.no