Benjamin Rowland

Chromosome biology

How do cohesin and condensin build DNA loops and shape the genome in 3D? How do these complexes entrap and release DNA? How does cohesin stably lock together the sister chromatids? How does condensin drive mitotic chromosome condensation? How does the SMC5/6 complex silence viral genomes? And how does the action of these complexes affect nuclear organization, gene expression, and genomic stability?

These are the kind of questions that keep us awake at night and drive our research. We are addressing such questions using a multi-disciplinary approach that involves genetics, genomics, biochemistry and imaging.

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We are recruiting. We encourage prospective postdocs, PhD students, technicians, and undergraduate students to send an enquiring email to Benjamin, including CV and motivation.

Our research is supported by the European Research Council (ERC), the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF), the Dutch Research Council (NWO), the Dutch Life Sciences & Health sector (Health Holland), the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF), and the Wellcome Trust.

Highlights of this group

6 November 2025

Major European grant awarded

Together with the labs of Cees Dekker, Leonid Mirny & Wendy Bickmore, we have been awarded a prestigious ERC Synergy grant. This € 10 million 'GeneMotors' grant will allow us to investigate how SMC molecular motors control our genome. Looking forward to making wonderful discoveries together with this fantastic team.

Read about THIS AWARDED GRANT.

The “reel-and-seal” model for DNA loop extrusion

This mechanism explains how SMC molecular motors could fold our DNA into loops. Such loops play a central role in important cellular processes such as cell division, gene regulation, and DNA repair.

Movie by Dekker, Haering, Peters & Rowland, published in Science: DOI: 10.1126/science.adi8308

Hoencamp et al., Science, 2021

Condensin II as a determinant of architecture type

In an incredible collaboration with the labs of Erez Lieberman Aiden, Jose Onuchic, Michele di Pierro, multiple NKI-based groups, and the DNA Zoo consortium, we study chromosome-scale genome folding across the eukaryotic tree of life. The absence of condensin II subunits turns out to correlate with the type of nuclear architecture. Depletion of condensin II in human cells transforms the folding of the human genome into a state as found in mosquitoes and fungi.

Read THIS PAPER, our PRESS RELEASE, and this COOL STORY.

Li et al., Nature, 2020

Genome folding by cohesin & CTCF

Cohesin folds the genome into loops that are anchored by CTCF. In a great collaboration with the lab of Daniel Panne, we show that the interaction of the CTCF N-terminus with the SA2-SCC1 subunits of cohesin stabilises cohesin at CTCF sites. This interaction is essential for CTCF-anchored loops genome-wide. We propose that CTCF enables chromatin loop formation by protecting cohesin against loop release.

Read THIS PAPER and our PRESS RELEASE.