DNA damage and repair induced by oxidation and reduction.
Mechanistic studies based on a joint electrochemical and photochemical approach.
The two principal mechanisms of charge transport through DNA are: 1) transfer of positive charges
(“holes”) and 2) transfer of negative charges (“excess electrons”). Both processes have biological importance.
Hole transfer is directly involved in the mechanism of DNA damage. Electron injection into DNA was found to
be a naturally occurring process for the repair of photodamages such as the thymine-thymine dimer by the
corresponding repair enzymes (“photolyases”).
This work is supported by the French national agency for research (ANR), the National Center for Scientific
Research (CNRS), the University Paris Diderot – Paris 7 and the European COST program ‘Free radicals in
chemical biology’ (CM0603). The student will be integrated into a team of seven people, including
electrochemists, photochemists and a synthetic chemist.
The candidate should be trained in molecular chemistry, and/or biophysics, and/or biochemistry. CV should be
sent to Prof. Marc Robert (robert@univ-paris-diderot.fr) and Prof. Jean-Michel Savéant (saveant@univ-paris-
diderot.fr). Salary : 1360 euros (net income). Starting date : no later than september 1
st
2008.
Web site of the laboratory : http://www.lemp7.cnrs.fr/index_en.htm
