Genomic stability is critical for life. Repair of DNA when damaged is vital for preserving the information stored in the genome, and failure to accurately repair DNA damage can drive tumorigenesis in humans through an accumulation of mutations. Life has evolved sophisticated surveillance, repair pathways, and mechanisms to identify and restore damage back to its original state, thus preserving the genome. Many of these pathways involve cascades of proteins that recognize damage type, e.g. a double-strand (ds) DNA break, amplify the signal around the damage site, and recruit other factors to accumulate and repair the damage. Many of these factors are tumour suppressors and are therefore targets in past and present cancer therapy discovery.

The investigation of the DNA Damage Response by structural, biophysical, and biochemical approaches in multiple organisms, has allowed the field to appreciate the roles and functions of components critical for DNA repair in great detail. This methods collection aims to show some of the approaches being deployed in the dissection of the DNA Damage Response – with a particular interest in the factors central to DNA repair.