“Using very advanced microscopes and computers, we can create the most amazing 3D models of molecules. It allows us to study these molecular machines that work in our cells. I’m very interested in the molecules that repair damage or errors in the DNA. This repair mechanism plays a significant role in cancer prevention. Mistakes can cause a cell to divide uncontrollably. That’s why I investigated the interaction between the separate molecules in that mechanism. Our lab used to work with proteins from E.coli bacteria. Those generate many new insights relatively easily, although they are limited. That’s why I opted to study human proteins and compare them with E.coli proteins. It took me two years to set up the clearing protocols, but it did lead to several nice discoveries. I found out that there are several minimal differences between bacterial and human proteins and that even the tiniest mutations can explain why certain patients develop cancer over time. Besides my work, I discovered the convenience of being able to get by with just a bike and public transport in the Netherlands. In my home country, Germany, we always take the car.”
Susanne will defend her thesis on April 30.
This research was financially supported by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and the European Commission (EC).
prof. dr. T.K. Sixma