Di Virgilio Lab
Genome Diversification & Integrity
Profile
Our Research Focus at a Glance
Accurate repair of both stochastic and programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is a physiological and beneficial aspect of DNA metabolism since it ensures preservation of the genome on one side and the generation of diversity during meiotic recombination and lymphocyte receptor gene rearrangements on the other. Indeed, defective DSB repair is responsible for several human disorders characterized by developmental and neurological defects, cancer predisposition, and immunodeficiency.
Our group research aims at dissecting the molecular mechanisms that control the balance between antibody gene diversification and genome stability in mature B lymphocytes, and at translating our findings into general principles governing the ubiquitous preservation of genome integrity.
Team
Image Gallery - Our Lab History
Feb 2015 - Everything has a beginning. The lab welcomed its first PhD students Verónica Delgado-Benito (Vero, center) and Matteo Andreani (right), who joined Lisa Keller (left, technician & lab manager) in February 2015 to “seed” the Di Virgilio lab!
© AG Di Virgilio
Fall 2015-2016 - Meet our group first Postdocs! Our group welcomed Devakumar Sundaravinayagam (Dev, left) and Ali Rahjouei (right) in the Fall of 2015 and 2016, respectively. The lab is growing…
© AG Di Virgilio
Fall 2017 - The PhD students “are alright”. Sandhya Balasubramanian (bottom left) joined Vero (bottom right) and Matteo (top left) as a PhD student in 2016. The students (in the picture with summer intern Sara Santervás Sánchez) are definitively “alright”.
© AG Di Virgilio
Summer 2018 - Our lab first retreat. Clockwise starting from left side: Michela Di Virgilio (group leader), Ali, Dev, Violeta Coralluzzo (technician trainee), Lisa, Jasmin Bonkowski (our lab guru and admin assistant), Robert Altwasser (bioinformatician, joined the lab just in time for event!), Sandhya, Vero, Tannishtha Saha (the latest PhD student addition! Tannu joined the team in February 2018), and Matteo. We had two great days full of scientific presentations and discussions, and pleasant evenings to celebrate our team.
© AG Di Virgilio
Fall 2018 - The first “professional” lab photo shoot (thanks to Matteo). Back, from left to right: Robert, Dev, Jasmin, Madlen Driesner (technician), Lisa, Violeta, and Ali. Front: Michela, Sandhya, Vero, Tannu and Matteo. The picture was taken thanks to Matteo’s photo shooting experience and athletic performance, which allowed him to effortlessly reach the group just in time for the lab “selfie”.
© AG Di Virgilio
Winter 2018 – Christmas is coming to town. From left to right: Madlen, Lisa, Ali, Jasmin, Vero, Robert, Matteo, Sandhya, Violeta, (a quite distraught) Michela… and Dev (behind the camera).
© AG Di Virgilio
Summer 2019 - Celebrating summer with our yearly lab BBQ. Back, from left to right: Dev, Jasmin, Madlen, Lisa, Ali, Matteo, Robert, and Michela. Front: Vero, Sandhya, Tannu and our latest PhD student Maria Berruezo Llacuna, who joined the team just few days earlier.
© AG Di Virgilio
March 12th 2020 – A very happy day. March 12th 2020 marks a very happy day as we celebrated Matteo, who successfully defended his thesis at Freie University, thus officially becoming the 1st PhD student to graduate from the lab!
© AG Di Virgilio
June 23rd 2020 – Another very happy day. On June 23rd 2020, it is Vero’s turn! Vero completed her PhD journey at Humboldt University, and celebrated with the team and (a visibly proud) PI.
© AG Di Virgilio
Fall 2020 – Our attempt to a (pandemic-)responsible lab photo shoot. In an impossible-to-find-a-description-order attempt (left to right, front to back) : Maria, Dev, Jenisha Khadka (Master student), Júlia Goncalves de Andrade (Master student), Lisa, Amy Foster (Master student), Robert, Sandhya, Tannu, Ali, our new admin assistant Rachida Ouabbou, Michela, and the campus blue bear.
© AG Di Virgilio
Summer 2021 – A long-overdue lab dinner. Past, present, leaving, and incoming lab members came together to celebrate many key events, discoveries, accomplishments, farewells, and welcomes. Clockwise: Tannu, Júlia, Ali, Matteo (alumni, former PhD student), Tobias Rüster (incoming technician trainee), Noelle Findeisen (departing technician trainee), Celeste Milli (Master student), Lisa, Amy (alumni, former Master student), Maria, Robert (departing bioinformatician), Sandhya, Michela, Florian Hubl (departing intern student), Vero (alumni, former PhD student), and Eleni Kabrani (our brand new Postdoc!).
© AG Di Virgilio
November 5th 2021 – Third special day for the Di Virgilio lab! On November 5th 2021, Sandhya successfully defended her PhD thesis at Freie University. These are indeed the best days for the team to celebrate!
© AG Di Virgilio
Spring 2022 – A Christmas dinner… in May. The COVID pandemic disrupted our plans for the Christmas lab party 2021, but we decided to meet as soon possible to make up for the missed celebrations… so our Trash Santa tradition defies any season! Clockwise: Florian Hubl (alumni, former intern student), Eleni, Maria, Tannu, Ali, Matteo (alumni, former PhD student), Marti Leira (intern student), Michela, Lisa, Tobias, Giulia Schiavoni (intern student), Júlia (alumni, former Master student), and Sandhya (alumni, former PhD student).
© AG Di Virgilio
