Prof Corrado Santocanale
Professor of Molecular Medicine
SFI Future Frontiers
corrado.santocanale@universityofgalway.ie
Santocanale Lab Website

Vacant Positions

Research interests

  • Roles of the Cell Division Cycle 7 kinase (CDC7)
  • Regulation of initiation and progression of human DNA replication
  • Cellular responses to exploratory drugs targeting DNA replication

Research overview

The process of DNA replication is the biggest threat for genome stability in proliferating cells. Cancer cells in particular are subjected to replication stress after activation of proto-oncogenes into their oncogenic forms or due to deficiency in specific factors required for genome duplication.

Thus, aberrant DNA replication contributes to initiating and maintaining the cancerous state, while drugs targeting DNA synthesis have potent antitumor activity and are key component of current and novel chemo-therapeutic regimens.

An artistic view of DNA replication intermediates visualised by DNA fibre technique and fluorescence microscopy.

We apply modern techniques of Molecular and Cellular Biology as well Chemical Biology and Genomics approaches to reveal how cells duplicate their DNA and to understand cellular responses when this process is perturbed by either intrinsic or extrinsic factors.

Outline of genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 loss of function screen for the identification of genes determining the sensitivity or resistance to drugs that disrupt DNA replication.

Keywords

DNA replication, cancer, CDC7, DBF4, ATR, MCMs, CRISPR, kinase inhibitors, cell cycle, bioinformatics.

Key Research techniques

  • Genome editing
  • Single molecule DNA replication assays
  • Molecular, cellular, and chemical biology

Lab Members

  • Dr Michael Rainey (Post-Doc)
  • Daniel Shamavu (PhD)
  • Stefanus Bernard (PhD)
  • Liadhan Farrell (PhD)

Selected publications

Most Recent Publications

Quick Links

University Profile

PubMed

Google Scholar

Get in Touch!

corrado.santocanale@universityofgalway.ie