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Natural Sciences

Dr. Muriel Grenon

Ph.D.

Contact Details

Lecturer
Biochemistry
Room 131
Cell EXPLORERS
School of Natural Sciences
Art & Science Building
NUI Galway

T: 091495848
E: muriel.grenon@nuigalway.ie
W: www.cellexplorers.com @cellexplorers @murielgrenon https://www.facebook.com/Cellexplorers/
 
researcher

Biography

Dr Muriel Grenon (F) is lecturer in Biochemistry and the founding director of the Cell EXPLORERS science outreach programme (www.cellexplorers.ie) in the school of Natural Sciences.
The programme provides science activities to the general public and includes equality and inclusiveness in its ethos.
After her PhD in molecular genetics in CNRS cancer Institute 01 in Paris, Muriel continued working in the field of cancer biology at Cancer research UK in London and at the Wellcome Trust Gurdon Institute in Cambridge. She joined the NUI Galway Biochemistry department in 2004 as a senior researcher. She started to lecture Biochemistry and Biotechnology in 2008.
Both her extensive research and teaching experiences have been essential to the creation and the success of the Cell EXPLORERS informal education programme linking research, third level education and primary schools.
Her main research interests are Science outreach & education, Hands on learning and the use of science outreach and communication as a teaching tool for university students. She is associated staff to the National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and Learning (http://www.nce-mstl.ie/staff/muriel-grenon.966.html)

Research Interests

Current: Educational Science Outreach, Informal science education, Public Engagement in Science, Science Outreach, Science Communication, Enquiry based learning

Cancer biology, genome stability in eukaryotic model systems, DNA damage checkpoints, roles of chromatin and histone modifications in the DNA damage response, DNA Repair, Signal transduction, activation of PI3K like kinases and CHK kinases, Rad9 and Rad9-like family of DNA damage mediators, BRCA1, 53BP1, yeast genetics in both S. cerevisiae and S. pombe and biochemistry, DT40 chicken model system, human cells.
 

Research Projects

  Project Start Date End Date
Cell EXPLORERS - national expansion of a sustainable public engagement model 01-JAN-15 16-JAN-17
”Creation of a student‐led primary school outreach activity in Cellular Biology and Biotechnology” 01-FEB-12 30-NOV-12
“Conservation of the tumor suppressor ING2 functions in the eukaryotic DNA damage response” 01-JAN-12 31-AUG-12
Eukaryotic response to DNA damage 01-APR-08 31-MAR-13
“Study of histones H3 and H4 post-translational modifications in Rad9 recruitment to chromatin as an early step of DNA damage checkpoint activation” 01-OCT-05 30-SEP-08

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2016) 'Researchers: share your passion for science!'
Concannon, C,Grenon, M (2016) 'Researchers: share your passion for science!'. Biochemical Society Transactions, 44 :1507-1515 [DOI] [Details]
(2013) 'Site-Specific Phosphorylation of the DNA Damage Response Mediator Rad9 by Cyclin-Dependent Kinases Regulates Activation of Checkpoint Kinase 1'
Abreu, CM,Kumar, R,Hamilton, D,Dawdy, AW,Creavin, K,Eivers, S,Finn, K,Balsbaugh, JL,O'Connor, R,Kiely, PA,Shabanowitz, J,Hunt, DF,Grenon, M,Lowndes, NF (2013) 'Site-Specific Phosphorylation of the DNA Damage Response Mediator Rad9 by Cyclin-Dependent Kinases Regulates Activation of Checkpoint Kinase 1'. Plos Genetics, 9 (4) [DOI] [Details]
(2011) 'Regulation of the DNA damage response and gene expression by the Dot1L histone methyltransferase and the 53Bp1 tumour suppressor'
FitzGerald J, Moureau S, Drogaris P, O'Connell E, Abshiru N, Verreault A, Thibault P, Grenon M, Lowndes NF. (2011) 'Regulation of the DNA damage response and gene expression by the Dot1L histone methyltransferase and the 53Bp1 tumour suppressor'. Plos One, 6 (2) [DOI] [Details]
(2011) 'Eukaryotic DNA damage checkpoint activation in response to double-strand breaks'
Finn K, Lowndes NF, Grenon M (2011) 'Eukaryotic DNA damage checkpoint activation in response to double-strand breaks'. Life Sciences, [DOI] [Details]
(2010) 'M. Dynamics of Rad9 chromatin binding and checkpoint function are mediated by its dimerization and are cell cycle-regulated by CDK1 activity'
• Granata M, Lazzaro F, Novarina D, Panigada D, Puddu F, Abreu CM, Kumar R, Grenon M, Lowndes NF, Plevani P, Muzi-Falconi M. (2010) 'M. Dynamics of Rad9 chromatin binding and checkpoint function are mediated by its dimerization and are cell cycle-regulated by CDK1 activity'. Plos Genetics, 6 (8) [Details]
(2010) 'MRN and the race to the break'
Rupnik A, Lowndes NF, Grenon M (2010) 'MRN and the race to the break'. Chromosoma, 119 (2):115-135 [DOI] [Details]
(2009) '53BP1: function and mechanisms of focal recruitment'
FitzGerald JE, Grenon M, Lowndes NF (2009) '53BP1: function and mechanisms of focal recruitment'. Biochemical Society Transactions, 37 (Pt 4):897-904 [DOI] [Details]
(2008) 'The MRN complex'
Rupnik A, Grenon M, Lowndes N (2008) 'The MRN complex'. Current Biology, 18 (11):1-7 [DOI] [Details]
(2007) 'Transcriptional response of Candida parapsilosis following exposure to farnesol'
Rossignol, T,Logue, ME,Reynolds, K,Grenon, M,Lowndes, NF,Butler, G (2007) 'Transcriptional response of Candida parapsilosis following exposure to farnesol'. Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy, 51 :2304-2312 [DOI] [Details]
(2007) 'Docking onto chromatin via the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad9 Tudor domain'
Grenon, M,Costelloe, T,Jimeno, S,O'Shaughnessy, A,FitzGerald, J,Zgheib, O,Degerth, L,Lowndes, NF (2007) 'Docking onto chromatin via the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad9 Tudor domain'. Yeast, 24 :105-119 [DOI] [Details]
(2006) 'Histone H2A phosphorylation and H3 methylation are required for a novel Rad9 DSB repair function following checkpoint activation'
G. Toh, A. O’Shaughnessy, S. Jimeno, I. Dobbie, M. Grenon, S. Maffini S, A. O' Rorke and NF. Lowndes (2006) 'Histone H2A phosphorylation and H3 methylation are required for a novel Rad9 DSB repair function following checkpoint activation'. Dna Repair Amst, 5 [Details]
(2006) 'Double-strand breaks trigger MRX- and Mec1-dependent, but Tel1-independent, checkpoint activation'
Grenon, M,Magill, CP,Lowndes, NF,Jackson, SP (2006) 'Double-strand breaks trigger MRX- and Mec1-dependent, but Tel1-independent, checkpoint activation'. Fems Yeast Research, 6 :836-847 [DOI] [Details]
(2006) 'Multiple approaches to study S. cerevisiae Rad9, a prototypical checkpoint protein'
O'Shaughnessy AM, Grenon M, Gilbert C, Toh GW, Green CM, Lowndes NF (2006) 'Multiple approaches to study S. cerevisiae Rad9, a prototypical checkpoint protein'. Methods Enzymol, 409 :131-150 [DOI] [Details]
(2003) 'The budding yeast Rad9 checkpoint complex: chaperone proteins are required for its function'
• C. Gilbert, M. van den Bosch, C. Green, J.Vialard, M. Grenon, H. Erdjument-Bromage, P. Tempst and N. Lowndes (2003) 'The budding yeast Rad9 checkpoint complex: chaperone proteins are required for its function'. Embo Reports, 4 [Details]
(2002) 'Fission yeast chk1 mutants show distinct responses to different types of DNA damaging treatments'
Francesconi S, Smeets M, Grenon M, Tillit J, Blaisonneau J, Baldacci G (2002) 'Fission yeast chk1 mutants show distinct responses to different types of DNA damaging treatments'. Gene, 7 (7):663-673 [Details]
(2001) 'Checkpoint activation in response to double-strand breaks requires the Mre11/Rad50/Xrs2 complex'
Grenon, M,Gilbert, C,Lowndes, NF (2001) 'Checkpoint activation in response to double-strand breaks requires the Mre11/Rad50/Xrs2 complex'. Nature Cell Biology, 3 :844-847 [Details]
(2001) 'Topoisomerase III acts upstream of Rad53p in the S-phase DNA damage checkpoint'
Chakraverty RK, Kearsey JM, Oakley TJ, Grenon M, de La Torre Ruiz MA, Lowndes NF, Hickson ID (2001) 'Topoisomerase III acts upstream of Rad53p in the S-phase DNA damage checkpoint'. Molecular And Cellular Biology, 21 (21):7150-7162 [DOI] [Details]
(1999) 'The S/M checkpoint at 37 degrees C and the recovery of viability of the mutant poldeltats3 require the crb2+/rhp9+ gene in fission yeast'
Grenon M, Tillit J, Piard K, Baldacci G, Francesconi S (1999) 'The S/M checkpoint at 37 degrees C and the recovery of viability of the mutant poldeltats3 require the crb2+/rhp9+ gene in fission yeast'. Molecular & General Genetics, 260 (6):522-534 [Details]
(1997) 'PCNA and DNA polymerase delta catalytic subunit from Schizosaccharomyces pombe do not interact directly'
Tratner I, Piard K, Grenon M, Perderiset M, Baldacci G (1997) 'PCNA and DNA polymerase delta catalytic subunit from Schizosaccharomyces pombe do not interact directly'. Biochem, 231 (2):321-328 [DOI] [Details]
(1997) 'p56(chk1) protein kinase is required for the DNA replication checkpoint at 37 degrees C in fission yeast'
Francesconi S, Grenon M, Bouvier D, Baldacci G (1997) 'p56(chk1) protein kinase is required for the DNA replication checkpoint at 37 degrees C in fission yeast'. Embo Journal, 16 (6):1332-1341 [DOI] [Details]

Conference Publications

  Year Publication
(2016) 7th International Conference on Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting Info-exclusion
• P. Charlton, A. Preston, C. Karagiannidis, C. Kouroupetroglou, M. Grenon, S. Handschuh, A. Koumpis (2016) Use of the Curiosity Cabinet metaphor to support inclusive learning 7th International Conference on Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting Info-exclusion [DOI] [Details]

Abstract

  Year Publication
(2015) The tumor suppressive protein ING3, a new player in the maintenance of genome stability.
Mouche, A,Guerillon, C,Bigot, N,Le Guevel, R,Guillaudeux, T,Grenon, M,Pedeux, R (2015) The tumor suppressive protein ING3, a new player in the maintenance of genome stability. Abstract [Details]

Correction

  Year Publication
(2008) Transcriptional response of Candida parapsilosis following exposure to farnesol (vol 51, pg 2304, 2007).
Rossignol, T,Logue, ME,Reynolds, K,Grenon, M,Lowndes, NF,Butler, G (2008) Transcriptional response of Candida parapsilosis following exposure to farnesol (vol 51, pg 2304, 2007). Correction [DOI] [Details]

Honours and Awards

  Year Title Awarding Body
2013 Outstanding Contribution to STEM Galway Science and Technology Festival

Education

  Year Institution Qualification Subject
2012 NUI Galway Postgraduate certificate in Teaching and learning Teaching and learning in Higher education
2009 Paris Sud XI Habilitation Hbailitation a diriger les recherches - Molecular Genetics
1998 Paris Sud XI PhD Cellular and Molecular Genetics

Outreach Activities

  Description

SFI Discovering Science and Engineering 2013: The Cell EXPLORERS roadshow

Wellcome Trust people award Summer 2013. Cell EXPLORERS, a pilot programme toward sustainable public engagement within universities

NUIG EXPLORE programme  2013: ReelLife Science, in collaboration with Dr Enda O'Connell

Biochemical Society 2012 - The Cell EXPLORERS show

Royal Dublin Society 2012 lecture Bursary - Fantastic DNA!

NUIG EXPLORE programme  2012: The Cell EXPLORERS show

NUIG EXPLORE programme  2012: Creation of a student-led primary school outreach activity in cellular Biology and Biotechnology

Recent Postgraduate Students

  Graduation Name Degree Primary Supervisor
2013 Mary Walsh PhD N
2012 Carla Abreu PhD N
2011 Ramesh Kumar PhD N
2010 Karen Finn PhD N

Modules Taught

  Term/Year Module Title Module Code Subject / Desc
2013-2015 Biochemistry for 1st year preclinical students

Internal Collaborators

  Name Description of Collaboration
Internal Collaborators
Andrew Flaus, Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway Veronica McCauley, School of Education Andrea Higgins, School of Education

External Collaborators

  Name Organisation / Institute Country Description of Collaboration
External Collaborators
Remy Pedeux, School of Medicine, Rennes University, France Audrey O'Grady, University of Limerick