News

Fri, 11/20/2020

With every replication, mammalian genomes accumulate point mutations in patterns that reflect the local chemical activity of intrinsic and extrinsic mutagenic processes. Over generations of cell replications, these patterns become a historical record of the identity and duration of past and...

Thu, 02/20/2020

DNA methylating agents are abundant in the environment and are sometimes used in cancer chemotherapy. They react with DNA to form methyl-DNA adducts and byproduct lesions that can be both toxic and mutagenic. Foremost among the mutagenic lesions is O6-methylguanine (m6G), which base...

Tue, 10/15/2019

N-Nitrosamines are environmental genotoxicants that are widely encountered in air, water, and food. Contamination of indoor and outdoor air with N-nitrosamines has been reported on many occasions. Conventional detection of airborne N-nitrosamines requires sophisticated...

Wed, 10/31/2018

In a multicellular organism, somatic mutations represent a permanent record of the past chemical and biochemical perturbations experienced by a cell in its local microenvironment. Akin to a perpetual recording device, with every replication, genomic DNA accumulates mutations in patterns that...

Fri, 01/12/2018

Paraquat (1,1′-dimethyl, 4,4′-bipyridinium dichloride; PQ), a widely used herbicide, is toxic to mammals through ingestion, inhalation and skin contact. Epidemiological data...

Wed, 10/18/2017

CAMBRIDGE, MA | Essigmann Lab News

In collaboration with the Essigmann Lab, MIT OpenCourseWare has released a new OCW Scholar course for 5.07J, Biological Chemistry I. This undergraduate-level course includes video lectures by Prof. John Essigmann and problem solving videos by Dr. Bogdan...

Wed, 09/13/2017

RALEIGH, NC | Essigmann Lab News

Research Scientist Dr. Bogdan Fedeles of the Essigmann Lab is a finalist for the EMGS Young Scientist Award! The Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EMGS), scientists in academia, government, and industry working to understand the genetic...

Fri, 06/09/2017

CAMBRIDGE, MA | Essigmann Lab News
June 9, 2017

On Friday, June 9, a longtime member of the Essigmann Group received his PhD from MIT. Congratulations to Dr. Shiou-chi Steven Chang on his graduation! As Professor John Essigmann's last MIT graduate student, Chang will continue his...

Tue, 05/02/2017

Decades can pass before signs of developing liver cancer appear to a patient or doctor, so early detection is critical. Pairing a unique understanding of cancerous genetic mutation patterns with cutting-edge lab technology, NIEHS-supported researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...

Tue, 03/28/2017

Several decades elapse between liver cancer initiation and the appearance of tumors, and there are rarely overt clues that presage the appearance of disease. There is an acute need for biomarkers of incipient carcinogenesis when the disease is clinically addressable. This work used high-fidelity...