Histone dynamics in DNA damage and repair

The overall perspective of my PhD project was to uncover the mechanisms that generate DNA damage-dependent chromatin mobility and to identify the players implicated in this process. To tackle this problem, I investigated the physical characteristics and composition of chromatin under DNA damaging conditions. I see my PhD project divided into two mayor themes: (I) Identifying physical chromatin changes under DNA damaging conditions (mainly using microscopic assays) (II) Addressing changes in chromatin protein composition upon DNA damage and DNA damage checkpoint activation (using Western blot analysis, genome-wide nucleosome mapping, microscopy and quantitative mass spectrometry)