The genome is the building block of life for every living organism. It contains all the genetic information needed to build that organism, allowing it to grow, develop and function. To be able to develop and grow, every organism must replicate its entire genome whenever a cell divides so that each daughter cell obtains a complete set of genetic information herself. The genome is composed by DNA that is replicated to make almost perfect copies of itself, which is a remarkable task considering that in humans there are almost three billion base pairs of DNA to be copied. During my PhD I studied the molecular mechanisms that underlie DNA replication, and this thesis focuses on the study of E. coli replicative polymerases. We have studied the proofreading system of the E. coli polymerase Pol IIIα and the maturation process of E. coli Okazaki fragments. Thanks to our findings, we were able to answer to critical questions for our understanding of the very secrets of life.
Thesis defence Margherita Botto
On March 23, 2023 11.15 AM Margherita Botto will defend her thesis entitled ‘Characterization of DNA-replication proteins and their molecular mechanisms: a team business ’
Promotor: Prof. Dr. J.J.C. Neefjes
Co-promotor: Dr. M.H. Lamers
