11 April 2022 – Nicolás Nieto Moreno studies the mechanisms of transcription during DNA damage. “When a transcribing RNA polymerase II runs into a bulky DNA lesion, such as those induced by UV light, it gets stalled,” he explains. “I am exploring whether RNA polymerase II stalling signals global changes in transcription.” In his lab at the University of Copenhagen, he can learn techniques that were not available in his previous lab in Argentina, such as genome-wide analyses and mass spectrometry. “It’s great that I can widen my skill set,” he says.
In Denmark he feels at the centre of the research world, from faster delivery time for supplies to building collaborations across Europe. “I meet people I only knew from names on papers!” he says. His lab is part of one of several university research centres. Joint seminars encourage exchange. Nieto Moreno, who moved from Buenos Aires with his partner in 2020, says the move has been a big but positive change: “Copenhagen is small, but it has everything, and we bike everywhere. We’re very happy here.” The international network of the university and EMBO have been a great support too: “Argentina is far away. The relocation allowance from EMBO was crucial.”
