Overview
- The study, published in Nature Communications, introduces a fluorescent reader engineered from the MCPH1 BRCT domain that transiently recognizes damaged chromatin.
- In cultured cells the sensor produced bright foci at damage sites that matched locations flagged by commercial antibodies while avoiding interference with repair.
- Continuous live imaging let researchers track the full kinetics of damage formation and resolution, yielding richer, higher‑resolution data than snapshot methods.
- Tests in the nematode C. elegans confirmed performance in a living organism and revealed developmentally programmed DNA breaks during gametogenesis.
- The team has released the constructs and protocols openly online, with suggested uses in cancer biology, drug safety testing and aging research, though clinical applications remain prospective.