Cell-ebrity Status: Cells' Star Quality

Breaks in the DNA double helix are a threat to cell survival and capable of causing genomic instability, which is a known driver of cancer. Thus, cells have developed numerous mechanisms capable of repairing such damage. This talk will cover these repair mechanisms, focusing on processes known as homologous recombination, and discuss a DNA-unwinding protein, HelQ, also thought to be involved in these types of repairs, but its purpose is currently unknown. However, HelQ’s unusual intrinsically disordered structure may provide insight into its role in repair, which this project aims to explore.

Many of our body’s cells can regrow when damaged—but the cells that help us hear cannot. Some types of hearing loss can be helped with devices like hearing aids, but for others, there are no solutions. But what if we could regrow those cells? A UK biotech company in collaboration with Universities and the NHS has done just that. This breakthrough is the result of a unique collaboration between scientists, doctors, and most importantly people with hearing loss themselves! This talk will explore the science and how we’re bringing this life-changing therapy to the people who need it.

Have you ever wondered what shapes the way cells grow, move, and function?” The environment around them—known as the extracellular matrix (ECM)—plays a crucial role in guiding their behaviour, from development to disease response. To truly understand how the ECM influences cells, we need models that accurately replicate these real-life conditions. In this talk, we’ll explore how advanced 3D models are transforming our understanding of cells, offering deeper insights than traditional 2D methods and paving the way for ground-breaking discoveries and new treatment strategies.