M. Popovic

Active shape programming drives Drosophila wing disc eversion

The paper shows active cellular behaviors drive 3D shape changes in Drosophila wing disc pouch through spontaneous strains, validated by MyoVI knockdown.

Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) and SPRTN protease repair histone 3 and topoisomerase 1 DNA-protein crosslinks in vivo

This study investigates how TDP1 and SPRTN repair DNA-protein crosslinks in vivo, showing distinct roles in resolving histone H3-DPCs and TOP1-DPCs across species.

The structure of pathogenic huntingtin exon-1 defines the bases of its aggregation propensity

This study investigates how the structure of pathogenic huntingtin exon-1 with expanded poly-Q tracts influences its aggregation propensity and fibril formation.

Emergent chirality in active solid rotation of pancreas spheres

This study investigates how 3D geometry and topology influence collective cell dynamics in pancreatic organoids, revealing spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking through topological defects in traction forces.

The landscape of high-affinity human antibodies against intratumoral antigens

The paper identifies high-affinity human antibodies against intratumoral antigens using computational and experimental methods.

Recurrent chromosomal imbalances provide selective advantage to human embryonic stem cells under enhanced replicative stress conditions

This study shows that chromosomal imbalances in hESCs provide a proliferative advantage under replicative stress, similar to cancer cells.

Turning old foes into new allies - harnessing drainage canals for biodiversity conservation in desiccated novel ecosystems

This study assesses the conservation value of drainage canals in agricultural landscapes and proposes management strategies to enhance their biodiversity potential.

Search for top-down and bottom-up drivers of latitudinal trends in insect herbivory in oak trees in Europe

The paper investigates latitudinal trends in insect herbivory on oak trees in Europe, finding that climatic factors, not latitude, best predict herbivory and leaf chemistry variation.

SPRTN protease and SUMOylation coordinate DNA-protein crosslink repair to prevent genome instability

This study identifies SUMO-1 modification of DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) as a mechanism that promotes SPRTN proteolysis over homologous recombination, preventing genomic instability.

Can school children support ecological research? Lessons from the ‘Oak bodyguard’ citizen science project

The paper evaluates schoolchildren's ability to collect ecological data through a citizen science project and finds their data require calibration but are comparable to untrained professionals.

SPRTN Protease and Checkpoint Kinase 1 Cross-Activation Loop Safeguards DNA Replication

This paper shows SPRTN protease and CHK1 form a cross-activation loop to protect DNA replication from stress by regulating CHK1 chromatin eviction and DPC removal.