Location and numbers: how recombination and our chemical landscape converge on meiosis

Abstract: Research in our laboratory is focused on understanding the regulation of mechanisms that promote accurate chromosome segregation during meiosis, such as recombination, and how exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) affect these mechanisms. Errors in achieving accurate chromosome segregation during meiosis can result in the formation of aneuploid gametes (i.e., eggs and sperm carrying an incorrect number of chromosomes), which is associated with miscarriages, stillbirths, infertility, and birth defects. Our team has directly demonstrated in a metazoan (the nematode C. elegans) how the position of DNA double-strand breaks and crossover recombination events are critical for accurate chromosome segregation and how exposure to an abundantly used plasticizer (DEHP) alters this regulation. Ongoing studies are examining what factors regulate the distribution of recombination events and how other EDCs differentially affect female and male meiosis, leading to embryonic lethality and infertility.

biochemistrycancer biologychemical biologycell biologydevelopmental biologydrug discoveryevolutiongeneticsimmunologymolecular biologymicrobiologyneuroscienceplant sciencessystems biologybiotechnologybiological techniquesbiophysics

Audience: researchers in the discipline

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Colloquium zooming Molecular & Cellular Biology LUMS

Series comments: Zooming Molecular & Cellular Biology Colloquium was initiated on July 28th, 2020 by the Biology department at Syed Babar Ali School of Science & Engineering (SBASSE), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). The series follows through various topics which come under the ambit of Molecular and Cellular Biology and we’ve had the pleasure and honor of hosting some of the most knowledgeable scientists from around the globe. Organizers can be reached out at 24100162@lums.edu.pk or 24100001@lums.edu.pk for the Zoom link of individual talks. All lectures are LIVE streamed on SBASSE's official Facebook page.