Sara Sdelci

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Researchers discover a hidden 'mini metabolism' operating directly on human DNA

As of May 2026: Leading ongoing research into chromatin metabolism and cancer

For decades, biologists treated the cell's energy-producing and DNA-reading machinery as separate systems operating in separate compartments. A study published March 6 in Nature Communications upends that assumption.

Updated May 30

Notable Quotes

"Many of these enzymes synthesize essential building blocks of life, and their nuclear localization is associated with DNA repair. Their presence in the nucleus may therefore directly shape how cancer cells respond to genotoxic stress, a hallmark of many chemotherapeutic treatments. It's an entirely new world to explore." — Sara Sdelci, Centre for Genomic Regulation

from Researchers discover a hidden 'mini metabolism' operating directly on human DNA · Updated May 30