Replisome unloading: mechanism and importance for cell biology

Despite six decades of research into the fundamental process of DNA replication, little is known about how eukaryotic replication is completed and the replication machinery disassembled. It is crucial that we understand this essential stage of replication to fully comprehend the consequences of its deregulation and ensure we are able to exploit it to benefit human health. My group has discovered the first elements of this disassembly mechanism using model systems. 

We will answer many of the questions that emerged from our work and elucidate how replisome disassembly is accomplished and coordinated in human cells. We will identify and characterise novel regulators of replisome disassembly and determine the consequences of its disruption for cell biology. 

Our findings can be used to investigate how we can target replisome disassembly as a way to treat disease.