Scanning Mini‑Organs & DNA Traffic Jams

How can we compare what happens in a lab dish with what happens in patients? This is the heart of translational research – turning discoveries into treatment. We develop new MRI tools designed for organoids – non-invasive, high-resolution, and translational. MRI is essential for clinical care; we use it to look for biomarkers of disease and treatment in organoids. In this talk, I will give you a look at how MRI can help bridge the gap from lab dish to patients – paving the way for individual treatment for each patient.

DNA replication and transcription are essential cellular processes that share a common feature: they both use the same DNA template. When they occur at the same time, without proper coordination, the replication and transcription machinery can collide. These collisions may displace the transcription machinery and cause premature termination of transcription in favor of replication. Recent studies propose that one component of the replication machinery, a protein called PCNA, may temporarily retain the transcription machinery, preventing its complete disassembly and allowing replication to continue.
Here, I will talk about how PCNA could potentially regulate and prevent conflicts between DNA replication and transcription, helping both processes: copying (DNA replication) and reading (transcription) to proceed"