Research case studies Explore a selection of reports that spotlight particular areas of research at the Crick over the past five years.
Doctoral clinical fellows Opportunities for clinicians to perform innovative biomedical discovery research for three years while following the Crick's clinical PhD programme.
Breadcrumb Alessandro Costa Costa lab Macromolecular Machines Laboratory : Publications Lab contentLab contentIn this section Overview Areas of interest Publications Members Vacancies MCM helicase loaded onto duplex DNA Toggle to view hero caption PublicationsYear published2023 (1)2022 (7)2021 (2)2020 (6)2019 (3)2018 (3)2017 (10)2016 (4)2015 (4)2014 (4)2013 (3)2012 (1)2011 (2) Facet Year publishedResearch topicsBiochemistry & Proteomics (38)Cell Cycle & Chromosomes (38)Genome Integrity & Repair (38)Imaging (38)Structural Biology & Biophysics (38)Model Organisms (14)Genetics & Genomics (13)Cell Biology (11)Chemical Biology & High Throughput (9)Computational & Systems Biology (6)Infectious Disease (2)Synthetic Biology (2)Metabolism (1) Facet Research topicsCrick/Pre-CrickCrick publications (48)Pre-Crick publications (2) Facet Crick/Pre-CrickPublication typeJournal article (50)Primary research (32)Review (13)Commentary (3)Method (2) Facet Publication typeJournalNature (5)Nature Communications (5)Cell Reports (4)Molecular Cell (4)Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (4)Current Opinion in Structural Biology (3)Structure (3)Annual Review of Biochemistry (2)Biochemical Society Transactions (2)eLife (2)Acta crystallographica. Section D, Structural biology (1)Biology (Basel) (1)Biophysical Chemistry (1)Cell & Bioscience (1)Chromosoma (1)Developmental Cell (1)DNA Repair (1)Journal of Molecular Biology (1)Methods in Enzymology (1)Methods in Molecular Biology (1)Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (1)Nature Structural and Molecular Biology (1)Nucleic Acids Research (1)Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA (1)Science (1)Trends in Biochemical Sciences (1) Facet Journal Publications Displaying 1 - 20 of 50Last updated : 08 December 2023 03:35 The structural mechanism of dimeric DONSON in replicative helicase activation Authors (14)Milos Cvetkovic Paolo PassarettiAgata Butryn Alicja Reynolds-Winczura Georgia Kingsley Aggeliki Skagia[...] Anoop S Chauhan Satpal S Jhujh Grant S Stewart Agnieszka GambusAlessandro Costa Molecular Cell Published 16 November 2023 Crick labs/ facilitiesAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyFull details Mechanism of replication origin melting nucleated by CMG helicase assembly Authors (8)Jacob LewisMarta Gross Joana SousaSarah HenrikusJulia GreiweAndrea NansJohn DiffleyAlessandro Costa Nature Published 30 June 2022 Crick labs/ facilitiesJohn DiffleyAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyFermentationFull details ReconSil: An electron microscopy toolbox to study helicase function at an origin of replication Authors (4)Thomas PuehringerJulia GreiweThomas MillerAlessandro Costa Methods in Enzymology Published 5 August 2022 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details The initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication Authors (2)Alessandro CostaJohn Diffley Annual Review of Biochemistry Published 1 June 2022 Crick labsJohn DiffleyAlessandro CostaFull details Multiple roles of Pol epsilon in eukaryotic chromosome replication Authors (4)Milos Cvetkovic Esther OrtegaRoberto BellelliAlessandro Costa Biochemical Society Transactions Published 1 February 2022 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details Mechanism of Bloom syndrome complex assembly required for double Holliday junction dissolution and genome stability Authors (19) Charlotte Hodson Jason KK Low Sylvie van Twest Samuel E Jones Paolo Swuec Vincent Murphy[...] Michael W Parker Joel P Mackay Andrew N BlackfordAlessandro Costa Andrew J Deans Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA Published 8 February 2022 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details In silico reconstitution of DNA replication. Lessons from single-molecule imaging and cryo-tomography applied to single-particle cryo-EM Authors (4)Julia Greiwe Giulia ZanettiThomas MillerAlessandro Costa Current Opinion in Structural Biology Published 1 February 2022 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details Structural mechanism for the selective phosphorylation of DNA-loaded MCM double hexamers by the Dbf4-dependent kinase Authors (9)Julia GreiweThomas MillerJulia LockeFabrizio Martino Steven HowellAnne SchreiberAndrea NansJohn DiffleyAlessandro Costa Nature Structural and Molecular Biology Published 1 January 2022 Crick labs/ facilitiesAnne SchreiberJohn DiffleyAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyProteomicsFull details A structural framework for DNA replication and transcription through chromatin Authors (2)Oliver WillhoftAlessandro Costa Current Opinion in Structural Biology Published 1 December 2021 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details Towards a structural mechanism for sister chromatid cohesion establishment at the eukaryotic replication fork Authors (2)Sarah HenrikusAlessandro Costa Biology (Basel) Published 26 May 2021 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details Mechanistic insights into regulation of the ALC1 remodeler by the nucleosome acidic patch Authors (14) Laura C Lehmann Luka Bacic Graeme Hewitt Klaus Brackmann Anton Sabantsev Guillaume Gaullier[...] Song TanAlessandro CostaMark SkehelSimon Boulton Sebastian Deindl Cell Reports Published 22 December 2020 Crick labsAlessandro CostaSimon BoultonFull details A structure-based mechanism for DNA entry into the cohesin ring Authors (14)Torahiko HigashiPatrik Eickhoff Joana S SousaJulia LockeAndrea Nans Helen R Flynn[...] Zhuo A Chen Francis J O’Reilly Juri RappsilberAlessandro CostaFrank Uhlmann Molecular Cell Published 17 September 2020 Crick labs/ facilitiesFrank UhlmannAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyProteomicsFermentationFull details Microtubule nucleation properties of single human γTuRCs explained by their cryo-EM structure Authors (12)Tanja ConsolatiJulia LockeJohanna Roostalu Zhuo Angel ChenJulian Gannon Jayant Asthana[...]Fabrizio MartinoMilos Cvetkovic Juri RappsilberAlessandro Costa Thomas Surrey Developmental Cell Published 8 June 2020 Crick labs/ facilitiesThomas SurreyAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyProteomicsFlow CytometryElectron MicroscopyCell ServicesFull details Caught in the act: structural dynamics of replication origin activation and fork progression Authors (2)Jacob LewisAlessandro Costa Biochemical Society Transactions Published 5 May 2020 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details A different twist on centromeric chromatin Authors (2) Fabrizio MartinoAlessandro Costa Structure Published 7 January 2020 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details Mechanism of head-to-head MCM double-hexamer formation revealed by cryo-EM Authors (5)Thomas MillerJulia LockeJulia GreiweJohn DiffleyAlessandro Costa Nature Published 20 November 2019 Crick labs/ facilitiesJohn DiffleyAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyFermentationElectron MicroscopyFull details A combined structural and biochemical approach reveals translocation and stalling of UvrB on the DNA lesion as a mechanism of damage verification in bacterial nucleotide excision repair Authors (10) Marcin Jaciuk Paolo Swuec Vineet Gaur Joanna M Kasprzak Ludovic Renault Mateusz Dobrychłop Shivlee Nirwal Janusz M BujnickiAlessandro Costa Marcin Nowotny DNA Repair Published 1 January 2020 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details Retroviral integration into nucleosomes through DNA looping and sliding along the histone octamer Authors (9) Marcus D Wilson Ludovic Renault Daniel P Maskell Mohamed GhoneimVal PyeAndrea Nans David S RuedaPeter CherepanovAlessandro Costa Nature Communications Published 13 September 2019 Crick labs/ facilitiesAlessandro CostaPeter Cherepanov Structural BiologyElectron MicroscopyFull details Molecular basis for ATP-hydrolysis-driven DNA translocation by the CMG helicase of the eukaryotic replisome Authors (12)Patrik EickhoffHazal KoseFabrizio Martino Tatjana Petojevic Ferdos Abid AliJulia Locke[...]Andrea Nans James M Berger Michael R BotchanHasan YardimciAlessandro Costa Cell Reports Published 3 September 2019 Crick labs/ facilitiesHasan YardimciAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyElectron MicroscopyFull details Structure of DNA-CMG-Pol epsilon elucidates the roles of the non-catalytic polymerase modules in the eukaryotic replisome Authors (12) Panchali Goswami Ferdos Abid Ali Max E DouglasJulia Locke Andrew Purkiss Agnieszka Janska[...]Anne EarlyAndrea Nans Alan MC CheungJohn DiffleyAlessandro Costa Nature Communications Published 29 November 2018 Crick labs/ facilitiesJohn DiffleyAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyElectron MicroscopyFull details Pagination Current page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Next page Next Last page Last Share the page Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Email
The structural mechanism of dimeric DONSON in replicative helicase activation Authors (14)Milos Cvetkovic Paolo PassarettiAgata Butryn Alicja Reynolds-Winczura Georgia Kingsley Aggeliki Skagia[...] Anoop S Chauhan Satpal S Jhujh Grant S Stewart Agnieszka GambusAlessandro Costa Molecular Cell Published 16 November 2023 Crick labs/ facilitiesAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyFull details
Mechanism of replication origin melting nucleated by CMG helicase assembly Authors (8)Jacob LewisMarta Gross Joana SousaSarah HenrikusJulia GreiweAndrea NansJohn DiffleyAlessandro Costa Nature Published 30 June 2022 Crick labs/ facilitiesJohn DiffleyAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyFermentationFull details
ReconSil: An electron microscopy toolbox to study helicase function at an origin of replication Authors (4)Thomas PuehringerJulia GreiweThomas MillerAlessandro Costa Methods in Enzymology Published 5 August 2022 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details
The initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication Authors (2)Alessandro CostaJohn Diffley Annual Review of Biochemistry Published 1 June 2022 Crick labsJohn DiffleyAlessandro CostaFull details
Multiple roles of Pol epsilon in eukaryotic chromosome replication Authors (4)Milos Cvetkovic Esther OrtegaRoberto BellelliAlessandro Costa Biochemical Society Transactions Published 1 February 2022 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details
Mechanism of Bloom syndrome complex assembly required for double Holliday junction dissolution and genome stability Authors (19) Charlotte Hodson Jason KK Low Sylvie van Twest Samuel E Jones Paolo Swuec Vincent Murphy[...] Michael W Parker Joel P Mackay Andrew N BlackfordAlessandro Costa Andrew J Deans Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA Published 8 February 2022 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details
In silico reconstitution of DNA replication. Lessons from single-molecule imaging and cryo-tomography applied to single-particle cryo-EM Authors (4)Julia Greiwe Giulia ZanettiThomas MillerAlessandro Costa Current Opinion in Structural Biology Published 1 February 2022 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details
Structural mechanism for the selective phosphorylation of DNA-loaded MCM double hexamers by the Dbf4-dependent kinase Authors (9)Julia GreiweThomas MillerJulia LockeFabrizio Martino Steven HowellAnne SchreiberAndrea NansJohn DiffleyAlessandro Costa Nature Structural and Molecular Biology Published 1 January 2022 Crick labs/ facilitiesAnne SchreiberJohn DiffleyAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyProteomicsFull details
A structural framework for DNA replication and transcription through chromatin Authors (2)Oliver WillhoftAlessandro Costa Current Opinion in Structural Biology Published 1 December 2021 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details
Towards a structural mechanism for sister chromatid cohesion establishment at the eukaryotic replication fork Authors (2)Sarah HenrikusAlessandro Costa Biology (Basel) Published 26 May 2021 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details
Mechanistic insights into regulation of the ALC1 remodeler by the nucleosome acidic patch Authors (14) Laura C Lehmann Luka Bacic Graeme Hewitt Klaus Brackmann Anton Sabantsev Guillaume Gaullier[...] Song TanAlessandro CostaMark SkehelSimon Boulton Sebastian Deindl Cell Reports Published 22 December 2020 Crick labsAlessandro CostaSimon BoultonFull details
A structure-based mechanism for DNA entry into the cohesin ring Authors (14)Torahiko HigashiPatrik Eickhoff Joana S SousaJulia LockeAndrea Nans Helen R Flynn[...] Zhuo A Chen Francis J O’Reilly Juri RappsilberAlessandro CostaFrank Uhlmann Molecular Cell Published 17 September 2020 Crick labs/ facilitiesFrank UhlmannAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyProteomicsFermentationFull details
Microtubule nucleation properties of single human γTuRCs explained by their cryo-EM structure Authors (12)Tanja ConsolatiJulia LockeJohanna Roostalu Zhuo Angel ChenJulian Gannon Jayant Asthana[...]Fabrizio MartinoMilos Cvetkovic Juri RappsilberAlessandro Costa Thomas Surrey Developmental Cell Published 8 June 2020 Crick labs/ facilitiesThomas SurreyAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyProteomicsFlow CytometryElectron MicroscopyCell ServicesFull details
Caught in the act: structural dynamics of replication origin activation and fork progression Authors (2)Jacob LewisAlessandro Costa Biochemical Society Transactions Published 5 May 2020 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details
A different twist on centromeric chromatin Authors (2) Fabrizio MartinoAlessandro Costa Structure Published 7 January 2020 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details
Mechanism of head-to-head MCM double-hexamer formation revealed by cryo-EM Authors (5)Thomas MillerJulia LockeJulia GreiweJohn DiffleyAlessandro Costa Nature Published 20 November 2019 Crick labs/ facilitiesJohn DiffleyAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyFermentationElectron MicroscopyFull details
A combined structural and biochemical approach reveals translocation and stalling of UvrB on the DNA lesion as a mechanism of damage verification in bacterial nucleotide excision repair Authors (10) Marcin Jaciuk Paolo Swuec Vineet Gaur Joanna M Kasprzak Ludovic Renault Mateusz Dobrychłop Shivlee Nirwal Janusz M BujnickiAlessandro Costa Marcin Nowotny DNA Repair Published 1 January 2020 Crick labsAlessandro CostaFull details
Retroviral integration into nucleosomes through DNA looping and sliding along the histone octamer Authors (9) Marcus D Wilson Ludovic Renault Daniel P Maskell Mohamed GhoneimVal PyeAndrea Nans David S RuedaPeter CherepanovAlessandro Costa Nature Communications Published 13 September 2019 Crick labs/ facilitiesAlessandro CostaPeter Cherepanov Structural BiologyElectron MicroscopyFull details
Molecular basis for ATP-hydrolysis-driven DNA translocation by the CMG helicase of the eukaryotic replisome Authors (12)Patrik EickhoffHazal KoseFabrizio Martino Tatjana Petojevic Ferdos Abid AliJulia Locke[...]Andrea Nans James M Berger Michael R BotchanHasan YardimciAlessandro Costa Cell Reports Published 3 September 2019 Crick labs/ facilitiesHasan YardimciAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyElectron MicroscopyFull details
Structure of DNA-CMG-Pol epsilon elucidates the roles of the non-catalytic polymerase modules in the eukaryotic replisome Authors (12) Panchali Goswami Ferdos Abid Ali Max E DouglasJulia Locke Andrew Purkiss Agnieszka Janska[...]Anne EarlyAndrea Nans Alan MC CheungJohn DiffleyAlessandro Costa Nature Communications Published 29 November 2018 Crick labs/ facilitiesJohn DiffleyAlessandro CostaStructural BiologyElectron MicroscopyFull details