The working group deals with various questions on the subject of DNA damage. The focus is on the investigation of chromosomal DNA damage in the form of micronuclei.

The formation of these damages is already well studied and understood, but the further fate after their formation is largely unclear. Basically, four possible fates are conceivable: Degradation in the cytoplasm, ejection from the cell, reintegration into the main nucleus, or unchanged persistence. Using live cell microscopy and various molecular biological methods, the expression of these conceivable scenarios will be investigated for various genotoxic substances with different mechanisms of action.

A further focus is the question to what extent effects of different pharmacological and toxicological agents depend on the differentiation status of the cells under consideration. In particular, effects on the hematopoietic system are considered. In addition to immortalized cell lines and primary cells, human hematopoietic stem cells are also studied as a model system. These cells exhibit a different susceptibility to numerous agents compared to more differentiated cells. In our research projects we investigate the underlying mechanisms of action to better understand the effects of pharmacologically and toxicologically relevant substances and to identify novel targets for therapy.