Kirsten Skarstad's research group: DNA Replication and Chromosome Dynamics
Group leader
Genome instability leads to changes in a cell’s properties. In bacteria it frequently leads to resistance against antibiotics. Collapse and disintegration of the DNA during replication is a major cause of genome instability. We study proteins which act on DNA in order to discover the mechanisms by which DNA is replicated, segregated and repaired. We also study the regulatory mechanisms of the bacterial cell cycle, and are interested in how initiation of replication and segregation is controlled and coordinated with cell growth and cell division in the model organisms Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae. The projects cover basic bacterial cell biology as well as development of novel antibacterial drugs and understanding antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. In a wider perspective the aim of the group is to increase knowledge about DNA transactions and use this knowledge to combat disease.