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SUMMARY:From Riches to Rags: the nuclear genome in megakaryocytes and plat
 elets  - Professor Beth Psaila (University of Oxford)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260306T130000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260306T140000Z
UID:https://new.talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/60a32664-3323-4046-a5da-507827e280
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DESCRIPTION:Megakaryocytes are one of the rarest\, yet largest\, cells in 
 the human body and have huge synthetic capabilities - with a handful of me
 gakaryocytes releasing billions of platelets into our bloodstream every da
 y. To achieve this\, they undergo a unique form of the cell cycle that res
 ults is successive rounds of whole genome doubling (WGD) and an average pl
 oidy of 16N. They then give rise to platelets - with no nucleus at all. Th
 is talk will cover two projects:\n\nThe first - focusing on these fascinat
 ing and unusual aspects of their cell biology. Firstly\, we performed a de
 tailed interrogation of the megakaryocyte genome to unpick how megakaryocy
 tes bypass cell cycle checkpoints and tolerate whole genome duplication wh
 ile retaining p53 responses to other triggers\, and examined the consequen
 ces for the genome integrity. Unexpectedly\, we uncovered a conserved tole
 rance mechanism shared between megakaryocytes and WGD+\, p53-intact solid 
 tumours. \n\nIn the second part of the talk\, I will outline our recent di
 scovery that despite lacking a cell nucleus\, platelets contain a repertoi
 re of DNA fragments acquired by sequestration of cell free DNA during peri
 pheral circulation\, including free fetal and cancer cell-derived DNA. \n\
 nSPEAKER BIOGRAPHY\n\nBeth is a Professor of Haematology and Group Leader 
 at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine\, University of Oxfo
 rd. Her group has two research areas - identifying targetable disease mech
 anisms in myeloid blood cancers\, and studying the cell biology of megakar
 yocytes and platelets\, and their roles in cancer. Beth spends 20% of her 
 time in the clinic\, including running clinical trials with a particular i
 nterest in emerging mutation-selective targeted therapies for patients wit
 h myeloproliferative neoplasms\, and has a national role in the delivery o
 f clinical research as Chair of the Blood Cancer UK Research Network MPN S
 ubgroup. Outside of work\, she enjoys adventures with her family and runni
 ng around beautiful Oxford with her overly-enthusiastic but surprisingly o
 bedient cockapoo. \nSpeakers:\nProfessor Beth Psaila (University of Oxford
 )
LOCATION:Sherrington Library (Sherrington Building)\, off Parks Road OX1 3
 PT
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://new.talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/60a32664-3323-4046-a5da-507827e280
 bd/
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DESCRIPTION:Talk:From Riches to Rags: the nuclear genome in megakaryocytes
  and platelets  - Professor Beth Psaila (University of Oxford)
TRIGGER:-PT1H
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