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Research interests

Work in the West lab is focussed on understanding how plants repair and respond to chromosomal breaks. These are breaks in both strands of the DNA duplex, and DNA double strand (DSB) repair and response mechanisms are crucial for cellular survival and the faithful transmission of genetic information. Unrepaired DSBs can inhibit gene expression, DNA replication and lead to mutagenesis and cell death. Understanding these pathways is fundamental for improvement of plant growth under environmental stress and the directed manipulation of the genome in biotechnology.

Research focus

Mechanisms of DSB repair  --- Responses to DNA damage  ---  Genome maintenence in seeds  --- Mechanisms of transgene integration 

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