Genome instability describes a high mutation rate that impacts the proper functioning of cells and, by extension, the tissues and organism in which they are embedded. To deepen our mechanistic understanding of the role genomic instability plays in disease, particularly in cancer, nine research groups within the new doc.funds initiative tackle different aspects of genome maintenance and DNA repair mechanisms. Coordinator and Perutz group leader Christopher Campbell explains: “We want to take a deep dive into understanding how cells maintain the integrity of their genomes, as well as what happens when they fail to do so.” Fostering the education of the next generation of cell biologists, the initiative seeks to enhance research training for doctoral students in existing doctoral programs. Furthermore, the funding provides a budget for educational activities.

The project will fund nine PhD positions, one in each participating lab. In addition, students will benefit from workshops, annual retreats, and the development of soft skills. Besides coordinator Christopher Campbell, Perutz group leaders Alex Dammermann, Stephanie Ellis, Verena Jantsch-Plunger, Joao Matos, Peter Schlögelhofer, and Dea Slade, as well as Silvia Bulgheresi (University of Vienna) and Anna Obenauf (IMP), are part of the consortium. PhD recruitment will start in spring 2024.