Welcome to our newest PIs in GRE, Federico Pelisch and Kasper Rasmussen July 11, 2018 The newest laboratories in the School have been established in the Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression. Former postdoctoral researcher in the Centre, Federico Pelisch, is now establishing his own research group following the award of an MRC Career Development Fellowship while Kasper Rasmussen, joins us from the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) at the University of Copenhagen. Federico Pelisch Pelisch Laboratory Research Overview Federico’s research focusses on meiotic chromosome segregation. His lab studies how protein interactions are dynamically regulated in leading to proper chromosome dynamics during meiosis, with a special focus on the role of the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO). He has recently uncovered that assembly of key protein complexes is dependent on SUMO. This had led to research in three main areas: How SUMO networks are established during meiosis. How desumoylation contributes to chromosome segregation. How sumoylation and phosphorylation concertedly regulate protein dynamics during chromosome segregation. Kasper Rasmussen Rasmussen Laboratory Research Overview Kasper’s research is focussed on investigating the regulation and function of DNA methylation in hematopoiesis. His work involves studying the gene TET2; an “epigenetic eraser” important for removal of methylation of DNA, that is often mutated in blood cancers. The biological insights obtained by dissecting these mechanisms may provide the basis for developing targeted therapies for blood cancers with mutations in the DNA methylation machinery.
