iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

An extraordinary new paper shows how the RAD51 recombinase, which is canonically involved in DNA repair by HR, has an additional role in generating NETS (Neutrophil extracellular traps). These highly branched DNAs are released by immune cells to trap pathogens www.science.org/doi/full/10....

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Fantastic meeting coming up July31-Aug2 in LA for those researchers and clinicians working on the genetic disorder Bloom Syndrome, associated with loss of DNA repair. Submit your poster abstracts by June 19 event.fourwaves.com/bloom-rx2026... www.bloomsyndromeassociation.org

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

This is going to be an awesome day, covering clinical translation of cell and gene therapies in Australia, held at the brand new ACMD building in Melbourne. Previous meetings have been excellent, and oversubscribed - make sure to register ASAP www.eventbrite.com.au/e/advances-i...

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

A 1-day Melbourne workshop on Gene Editing in Blood and Immune Cells. February 20, register at editblood.com

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Just updated my X/Twitter profile. I suggest you try to encourage any colleagues remaining on that pit to do the same. Such a shame, as it was such an important place of science until not that long ago. :-(

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

No, not that FANCL! New paper on FancL mutant mouse just out in @bloodadvances.bsky.social shows essential function of E3 RING ligase activity to phenotypes of #FanconiAnemia plus, Black Friday deal: a new model for testing gene editing therapies: ashpublications.org/bloodadvance...

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Finally! We have a FANCM:RMI inhibitor that is cell active and specifically kills ALT+ cancer cells 🎯 @yuhenglau.bsky.social + my labs just published the first cell-active peptide inhibitors of this critical target in 10-15% of cancers. doi.org/10.1021/acs....

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

It was a great honour to present the AGCT (Australian Genome instability, Cell cycle and Telomere) award to Prof Kum Kum Khanna yesterday evening at #ADCTM25. Kum Kum has had an amazing career in discoveries relating to these fields in Australia, and been a remarkable leader and mentor to many.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Poster session 1 was such a hive of activity and discussion at Melbourne museum today! #ACDTM25

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Its so awesome to have Alan D'Andrea here in Melbourne today for #ACDTM25. What a great talk framed by his classic work on FA!

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

Ever wondered what S-phase tastes like? 3 lucky presenter prize winners will find out (+Amazon voucher!) at #ACDTM25. You can still register for this fantastic Melbourne meeting Oct 20-22. Official 10 year old taste tester: "lemon excision repair" is the best flavour www.australiancellcycle.org

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

🚨 Last chance! Register NOW for the Australian Cell Cycle, DNA Repair & Telomere Meeting 🧬 📍 Melbourne Museum | Oct 19–22 Submit your abstract + lock in the reduced rate this week 👉 australiancellcycle.org

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

In case you missed the online advance version, we are now in the latest print issue of EMBO J! www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.... Structural and biochemical investigation of the key activation step in the Fanconi anaemia DNA repair pathway, recognition of branched DNA by FANCM

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Instead, a different part of FANCM is required, the MM1 domain. We used AlphaFold modelling to show that the MM1 domain grabs onto the FA core complex binding and mutants in this domain also fail to repair DNA damage properly.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Structure-specific DNA binding, not ATP hydrolysis, is required for FANCD2:FANCI monoubiquitination.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

🧩 We also have a new structure of FANCM-CTD:FAAP24, also co-crystallised with splayed DNA. The two ends of the protein cooperative in recognition of branched DNA substrates at replication forks and other DNA junctions.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

But FANCM arranges itself on DNA very differently. Using a brand new DNA migration assay we show that several key DNA-binding residues contact the DNA junction (green), while others (yellow) grab onto the splayed DNA so that ATP hydrolysis is converted to forward momentum.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Actually, the protein has evolved from the same ancestor as the dsRNA immune receptor proteins RIG-I and MDA-5, and the siRNA processing enzyme Dicer, and the DNA repair protein XPF.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

And here is what FANCM translocase domain bound to 3'flap hairpin DNA looks like!

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Using our complete biochemical reconstitution system, we show that FANCM stimulates FANCD2/FANCI monoubiquitination by FA core complex in DNA structure-dependent manner. It promotes stable clamp formation even with USP1:UAF1 deubiquitinase present.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

🧬 New from crystal structures from our lab in EMBO Journal! We reveal how the FANCM enzyme, an emerging therapeutic target it cancer, has evolved to specifically recognise branched DNA and activate the Fanconi anaemia pathway of DNA repair. doi.org/10.1038/s443... 🧵👇

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

NHMRC has decided to replace the standard scale of 1-7 with something a bit more nuanced for the next round of Investigator grants. Score descriptors to be released soon.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

I'm super excited to announce that registrations are now open for the 19th Australian Cell Cycle, DNA Repair and Telomere Workshop. Awesome international speaker line-up, with plenty of locals being invited! Book now to secure your earlybird rate. www.australiancellcycle.org

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Some seriously nice biochemistry and cryo-EM of FAN1-PCNA-flapDNA complexes! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

I'm honoured to speak at the upcoming Genome Instability & Cancer Conference, celebrating the legacy of Angelos Constantinou. His pioneering work transformed our understanding of DNA repair. Register now to join us near his home town in France in March! www.tribute2angelos.fr/page/home/

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 28/08/2024

These FANCM mutations had major consequences in ALT-positive cancer cells: they couldn't rescue cell cycle arrest, telomere-associated replication stress, or cell lethality when endogenous FANCM was depleted.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 28/08/2024

When we removed Hel2i or mutated key DNA-binding residues, FANCM's affinity for junction DNA dropped significantly. This also completely abolished its branch migration activity.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 28/08/2024

The Hel2i subdomain within the translocase is the star of the show! 🌟 It's essential for effective DNA binding and couples this binding to ATP-dependent branch migration.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 09/07/2024

Was great to have @BenCarrollMP and our @MaddiesVision supporters visit the lab to hear about our latest gene editing projects to cure bone marrow failure syndromes and other genetic disorders. @SVIResearch

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 03/07/2024

On a crisp mid winter afternoon our new research building overlooking Melbourne is really taking shape! @SVIResearch @acmd

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 26/05/2024

We have a new lab preprint! Led by @LaraAbbouche and @RBDdoesDNA + collaboration with @HildaAPickett lab, we identify the mechanism of structure specific DNA binding of FANCM, and its contribution to the survival of ALT-positive cancers:...

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 30/10/2023

OK - latest lab pic, fresh from #ACDTM23 in front of the famous blue whale skeleton! What a happy bunch!

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 25/10/2023

Just in case you didn't get enough DNA repair at the #AGCT23 meeting! Today's seminar @SVIResearch is Prof Maria Jasin: "Mutagenic outcomes at Cas9 and meiotic DNA double-strand breaks" I am really looking forward to this one!

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 20/10/2023

Arrive early at registration Monday morning to secure your choice of conference merch #ACDTM23!

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 03/05/2023

POLθ inhibitors suppress chromosome radials in #FanconiAnemia cells, and sustain breaks that map to common fragile sites www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/…

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 06/04/2023

Great times at the Genome Stability lab Easter lunch. Lots of new faces and lots to celebrate!

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 10/02/2023

Shoutout to @plasmidsaurus for recently returning me sequencing results for a plasmid containing 1.1kb stretch of TTAGGG telomeric repeats - which previously resisted all attempts at sequencing! And for USD15!

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 01/02/2023

Cool cryo-EM solution structure of full-length RAD52! This is where I learn that a undecamer has 11 subunits... febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10…

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 06/12/2022

In human cells, deficiency in FANCM, SMARCAL1 and ZRANB3 causes combined additive effects on R-loop accumulation and genome instability.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 06/12/2022

We also show branchpoint translocases from yeast and bacteria have similar conserved function in R-loop removal.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 06/12/2022

Branch point translocation is an efficient method for unwinding the long triplex structure of co-transcriptional R-loops. By analogy, helicases (eg BLM, FANCJ, RECQL4) unzip the DNA:RNA hybrid, whereas branch point translocases (SMARCAL1, FANCM, ZRANB3) instead zip up the DNA

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 06/12/2022

R-loops arise from stalling of transcription, leading to formation of stable DNA:RNA hybrids. We used a new plasmid based R-loop reconstitution system to show that branchpoint translocases are superior to helicases in removing long RNAs trapped in DNA.

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 03/11/2022

Love DNA repair, cell cycle and/or telomeres? Live in Australia, or wanna visit for 3 days of cool science*? Something for your diary then! More info coming very soon, including an outstanding list of national and international speakers! (*plus dinosaurs)

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 19/10/2022

Pretty sweet view from the genome integrity conference meeting room, Busan, Korea. Excited for another day of great DNA repair biology!

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 04/09/2022

Cryo-EM structure of FANCD2:FANCI phosphomimetic shows how ATR primes the complex for DNA clamping prior to monoubiquitination @NatureSMB @lapassmore @ShabihShakeel www.nature.com/articles/s41594-022-…

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 18/07/2022

OK, so @Apple put back a few ports on the new MacBooks. Why-oh-why is there still no USB-A??? They know they're important because they ship every iPhone with one of these:

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 15/07/2022

The Fanconi Anemia pathway suppresses transgene expression from rAAV vectors www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202…

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 20/06/2022

Ok. Was this a message? Yesterdays wordle attempt…

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Andrew Deans @genomestability.bsky.social · 02/05/2022

Day before major grant submission deadline @nhmrc

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