COSTA LAB MEMBERS
ALESSANDRO COSTA
Senior Group Leader
Laurea in Biotechnology @ University of Padova
PhD @ Imperial College with Silvia Onesti & Ardan Patwardhan
Postdoc @ Oxford with Steve Bell and Berkeley with James Berger.
I seek to use cryo-electron microscopy for high-resolution imaging of reconstituted genome replication reactions as they occur in a test tube at cellular rates.
AGATA BUTRYN
Senior Laboratory Research Scientist
Magister in Biotechnology @ Jagiellonian University
Dr. rer. nat. @ Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich with Karl-Peter Hopfner
Postdoc and Beamline Scientist @ Diamond Light Source (XFEL-Hub) with Allen Orville
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I have a background in protein-DNA biochemistry and (time-resolved) crystallography.
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I work on novel sample preparation methods for single-particle cryo-electron microscopy.
JULIA GREIWE
PhD student
Msc in Biochemistry @ Heidelberg University (working with Christoph Mueller at EMBL Heidelberg and Karim Labib in Dundee).
I study the interaction between the MCM helicase and firing factors that lead to origin activation. To this end I combined in vitro reconstituted DNA replication reactions with cryo-EM imaging.
THOMAS PUEHRINGER
PhD student
BSc in Biology @ University of Vienna
MSc in Molecular Biology @ University of Vienna (Thesis with Clemens Plaschka @ IMP Vienna).
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I study the formation of the replicative CMG helicase during origin activation by using biochemistry and cryo-EM.
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I have a background in mRNA export and electron microscopy.
MILOS CVETKOVIC
Postdoctoral training fellow
Diploma in Molecular Biology @ University of Belgrade, thesis with Olivier Bensaude at ENS Paris.
PhD @ University of Tuebingen/MPI with Remco Sprangers, Max Planck Institute
I have a background in studying large nucleic-acid-interacting protein complexes and NMR. I work on the role of helicase and polymerases in histone redeposition at the replication fork.
JACOB LEWIS
Postdoctoral training fellow
Bachelor Advanced Medical Biotechnology (Honours, Class I) @ University of Wollongong
PhD @ University of Wollongong with Nicholas Dixon
Postdoc @ University of Wollongong with Antoine van Oijen
I study the mechanisms of replication for establishment. I have a background in DNA replication biochemistry and single-molecule biophysics.
SARAH HENRIKUS
Postdoctoral training fellow
Master in Chemistry @ Universitaet des Saarlandes
PhD @ University of Wollongong with Antoine van Oijen and Andrew Robinson
I study the mechanisms of sister chromatid cohesion establishment. I have an expertise in single molecule fluorescence microscopy.
OLIVER WILLHOFT
Postdoctoral training fellow
BSc in Biological Sciences @ University of Warwick
PhD @ ISMB (UCL/Birkbeck) with Cara Vaughan
Postdoc @ Imperial College London with Dale Wigley
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I study chromatin replication using biochemistry and cryo-EM.
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I have a background in the structural mechanism of chromatin remodellers.
GIACOMO PALM
PhD Student
BSc in Biotechnology @ University of Bologna
MSc in Applied Biotechnology @ University of Uppsala (Thesis with David M. Sabatini @ Whitehead Institute in Boston).
I study the activation of the replicative CMG helicase using biochemistry and cryo-EM.
I have a background in cell metabolism and membrane protein biochemistry.