High-throughput sequencing to detect nucleic acid damage

Archaeal extremophiles thrive in conditions which promote nucleic acid damage. To understand the damage that is present and the pathways that are involved in repairing, removing, and recycling this damage, we develop methodologies that utilize high-throughput sequencing platforms. Our aim is to locate and quantitate the levels of nucleic acid damage in DNA and RNA, as well as determine the rates of repair, removal, and recycling of these types of damage by in vivo archaeal mechanisms.