PhD Defence: Xue Liang

Thesis title: The ubiquitous circles. Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) Atlas in Mus musculus

Supervisor: Prof. Birgitte Regenberg

Assesment Committe:
Director Richard Koche (Center for Epigenetics Research. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY)
Assoc. Prof. Søren Besenbacher (Department of Molecular Medicine. Århus University)
Assoc. Prof. Mirna Perez-Moreno (Chair. CBP section. Dept Biology, UCPH)

Synopsis:
We are pleased to announce Xue Liang's PhD defense on extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA). The thesis provides an overview of current knowledge, explores eccDNA distribution across mouse tissues, and links its formation to transcriptional activity. The research also profiles eccDNA in pancreatic cancer, revealing correlations with patient survival. Additionally, a novel CRISPR/Cas9-based method for enhancing eccDNA detection by removing mitochondrial DNA will be presented. This work offers significant insights into eccDNA biology with implications for aging and cancer research.