DNA repair: protecting the blueprint for life December 1, 2010

Our DNA, the ‘stuff of life’, is a fragile molecule that is continually under assault from agents in the environment, our diet, and even from normal processes that take place within the cell. It is therefore critically important that damage to our genetic material is recognised and efficiently removed or repaired. If not, the consequences can be disastrous, leading to cancers and other diseases. All organisms therefore devote a significant portion of their genome towards the protection and maintenance of DNA integrity.

Dr Stephen West will discuss recent advances in our understanding of DNA repair, with particular emphasis on processes that promote the rejoining of DNA strand breaks.

Dr Stephen West FRS is a Senior Group Leader at the London Research Institute of Cancer Research UK. He was awarded the 2010 Royal Society GlaxoSmithKline Prize and Lecture for his pioneering work on the molecular mechanisms of genetic recombination and DNA repair and their relation to tumorigenesis.

Admission free – no ticket or advance booking required. Doors open at 5.45pm and seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Official Website: http://royalsociety.org/GSK-2010/