DNA damage sensing and repair in cells and Lyme disease bacteria
Official title: DNA damage response and repair of a broken chromosome
Funded at Brandeis University · NIH-11328827 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how cells detect and fix broken DNA, using yeast as a model, and explores how Borrelia burgdorferi changes its surface genes during Lyme disease evolution.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brandeis University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Waltham, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2018 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $973,357 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM127029-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11328827 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to a specific patient population at this time; basic science with model organisms and bacterial systems.
✕Less likely to help
Current work does not directly recruit or study patients or clinical treatments.
What this research studies
Researchers study how cells recognize DNA damage and repair chromosomal breaks, mainly in budding yeast, to map the steps of damage signaling and repair. They also apply these insights to understand how the Lyme disease bacterium changes its surface proteins through gene conversion. The work includes examining how donor DNA is found for repair, how mismatches are handled, and how CRISPR-based editing with single-stranded templates occurs. A second focus is on why DNA break repair can dramatically increase mutation rates and cause complex rearrangements, paralleling patterns seen in some human cancers. Finally, the project investigates how the cellular DNA damage checkpoint is regulated to maintain genome stability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Advances in understanding DNA repair could improve cancer biology knowledge and inform novel approaches to Lyme disease biology.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research using yeast models has successfully mapped DNA repair pathways and informed cancer biology concepts.
Where this research is happening
-
Brandeis University
Waltham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Haber, James E — Brandeis University
- Study coordinator: Haber, James E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.