Nicolas Altemose, D.Phil., Ph.D.

Research

My lab will investigate how specific proteins help to maintain the function of centromeres, structures that hold together duplicated chromosomes and aid in their proper segregation during cell division. Despite their central role in health and disease, centromeric regions of DNA have been difficult to study because they consist of highly repetitive DNA sequences, which are challenging for sequencing technologies to untangle. As a result, we have a limited understanding about how centromeres are organized and how they maintain their identity as chromosomes are unfurled and repackaged through cycles of DNA replication and cell division. To address these limitations, I am combining cutting-edge techniques in computational and genomic analysis with novel single-molecule sequencing methods that I developed as a postdoctoral fellow and in my own lab. I will apply these methods to dissect the anatomy of centromeres, mapping the distribution of their associated proteins, and examining whether chemical modification of centromeric DNA sequences helps to attract the proteins that shape centromere structure and function. My work will provide insights into how disruption of centromeres can lead to chromosomal abnormalities, infertility, and cancer.