what we do

Regulating gene expression, the process of reading and interpreting genetic information is a central task for all living organisms, and errors in this process cause many diseases, including cancer and various neurodegenerative diseases. We seek to understand the processes that modulate regulated expression of genes in cells by investigating the spatio-temporal regulation of RNA metabolism. Combining single molecule and super-resolution microscopy approaches with genetics and biochemistry we aim to gain a better understanding of the general rules that governing RNA metabolism, establishing the basis for a better understanding and treatment of complex diseases. Among our current research projects, we investigate how the nuclear pore complex regulates RNA transport and how the organization of mRNP and lncRNP complexes modulates their function .

We are member of the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the Université de Montréal. Our research is supported by  Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Publications

some recent works:

Jayabalan AK, Adivarahan S, Koppula A, Abraham R, Batish M, Zenklusen D, Griffin DE, Leung AKL. Stress granule formation, disassembly, and composition are regulated by alphavirus ADP-ribosylhydrolase activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Feb 9;118(6):e2021719118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2021719118. 

Adivarahan S, Zenklusen D. Lessons from (pre-)mRNA Imaging. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2019; 1203:247-284. Review.

Adivarahan S, Livingston N, Nicholson B, Rahman S, Wu B, Rissland O, Zenklusen D. Spatial organization of single mRNPs at different stages of the gene expression pathway. Molecular Cell. 2018 Nov 15;72(4):727-738.e5.

Lessard F, Igelmann S, Huot G, Le Calvé B, Montero B, St-Germain E, Mignacca L, Deschênes-Simard X, Moiseeva O, Zorca CE, Zenklusen D, Brakier-Gingras L, Bourdeau V and Ferbeyre G.Defective ribosome biogenesis in senescence reveals a novel checkpoint pathway to block cyclin dependent kinases. Nature Cell Biology. Jul;20(7):789-799.

Fernandez-Martinez J, Kim SJ, Shi Y, Upla P, Pellarin R, Gagnon M, Chemmama IE, Wang J, Nudelman I, Zhang W, Williams R, Rice WJ, Stokes DL, Zenklusen D, Chait BT, Sali A, Rout MP. Structure and Function of the Nuclear Pore Complex Cytoplasmic mRNA Export Platform. Cell 2016 Nov 17;167(5):1215-1228.e25 link

who we are

Pierre Bensidoun
PhD student
Bineta Bop
Masters student
Srivathsan Adivarahan
PhD student
Pascal Raymond
Research Associate
Daniel Zenklusen
Associate Professor
LinkedInResearch Gategoogle scholar
Shamal Kalhara Abeykoon
Master's Student
Om Mattagajasingh
PhD student
Justina Chu
Bachelor's Student

Contact us

WHY JOIN US?

We aim to make meaningful contributions to science while fostering an inclusive laboratory culture that values both individual growth and effective teamwork.  We believe that a diversity of perspectives makes for a stronger, more creative team.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

We are accepting Masters and PhD students! Contact Daniel to learn more about potential projects.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

We are accepting applications from interested postdoctoral fellows. Contact Daniel with your CV and a cover letter describing your previous work, future goals, and why you would like to come work with us.

where to find us

We are located at the main campus of the Université de Montréal. You can find us on the3rd floor of Pavillon Roger-Gaudry (left wing)

Mailing address

Daniel Zenklusen
Université de Montréal
Département de biochimie
C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville
Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7

Fedex deliveries

Daniel Zenklusen
Université de Montréal
Département de biochimie
2900 Édouard-Montpetit, D-340
Montréal, Québec H3T1J4