Examining the mechanism of chromatin replication and assembly at telomeres

Telomeres are protein/DNA structures that protect the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and are defective in essentially all incidents of cancer. Telomeric DNA is packaged into specialised chromatin fibres that require a distinct set of factors to be copied and reassembled each replication cycle, but how these processes take place is largely unknown. To address this question, we will combine an in vitro system for human DNA replication with a multidisciplinary experimental approach. Our work will address how the unique chromatin environment established at telomeres is maintained, providing molecular insights into the functions of proteins that drive cancer.