Pavel Rössner

• Mission: To describe the response of the organism to toxic compounds from the environment.
• Vision: To study molecular biomarkers of response of the organism to environmental pollution, that will allow early detection of changes potentially resulting in carcinogenesis; to identify the mechanisms of adaptation to the effects of the environment.

We aim to perform detailed identification of impacts of environmental pollutants on human organism, particularly potentially carcinogenic compounds. To address this task, we will use state-of-the-art molecular biological methods, which will help us to assess the changes on the cellular level that may induce damage to DNA and other macromolecules. Apart from identification of chromosomal changes and DNA modification resulting from, e.g. oxidative damage, we will use genomics methods (expression of genes encoding relevant proteins, epigenetic regulation) to investigate the mechanisms involved in these processes. We will further focus on the role of immune response in the modulation of the response of the organism, as well as on the potential adaptation to negative impacts of the environment.