The disputation will be live streamed using Zoom. The host of the session will moderate the technicalities while the chair of the defence will moderate the disputation.
Ex auditorio questions: The chair of the defence will invite the audience to ask ex auditorio questions either written or oral. This can be requested by clicking "Participants" followed by clicking "Raise hand".
The meeting opens for participation just before 1.15 PM, and closes for new participants approximately 15 minutes after the defense has begun.
Trial lecture
"The biology of cytoplasmic RNA granules and impact on human disease"
Main research findings
The vast majority of cells in nature are not actively dividing. The decision to enter the mitotic cell cycle and replicate is only made under favourable conditions. Yet, sudden adverse changes in the environment can halt the process at any point, since the priority of the cell is to protect the integrity of its macromolecules.
In the presented thesis, different aspects of cellular stress response are addressed. A new role of the protein phosphatase PP2A-B56 in the control of the cell cycle is described, illustrating how signals from changing environment are integrated to decide the fate of a cell. Additionally, a novel fission yeast eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E)-binding protein, which is important for cellular stress response and survival, is identified and briefly characterised.
Dysregulation of the mechanisms that cells use to adapt to and resist changes in the environment can lead to uncontrolled division. Conversely, the same mechanisms required to cope with stress can be exploited by cancer cells to escape chemotherapy, and by pathogenic microorganisms to elude antimicrobial treatments. Hence, a better understanding of how eukaryotic cells respond to stress will provide new strategies and targets for treatment of pathogenic infections and cancer therapy.