Eugene Berezikov

Eugene Berezikov studied natural sciences at the Novosibirsk State University (Russia), specializing in molecular biology, and graduated with honors in 1997. He received PhD degree in cell biology from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics (Novosibirsk, Russia) in 2000. For his postdoctoral studies he joined the laboratory of Prof. Ronald Plasterk at Hubrecht Institute, where he developed a method for homologous gene targeting in C. elegans and performed series of works on discovery and characterization of small RNAs and microRNAs in particular.

In 2007 he was appointed as a group leader at Hubrecht Institute and started to work on the flatworm Macrostomum lignano. In 2012 Eugene moved to ERIBA/UMCG, where he was appointed as Associate professor at the University of Groningen, and promoted to Full professor in 2021.

Research in the Berezikov group is focused on uncovering the molecular mechanism of organismal and cellular resilience. Towards this, they study the model organism Macrostomum lignano – a flatworm that can regenerate its body, is long-lived and highly resistant to various stresses, including ionizing and UV radiation. To translate the findings in flatworms to other model organisms, Berezikov group also utilize the nematode C. elegans and one of the shortest living vertebrate models, the killifish Nothobranchius furzerii.

Eugene is a recipient of EMBO Young Investigator award, European Research Council starting grant, NGI Breakthrough grants, NWO Vidi and Klein grants, and ZonMw Open grant.

Eugene is a scientific co-founded of a biotech start-up company InteRNA Technologies, which develops RNA therapeutics for cancer treatment.

• Mouton S, Ustyantsev K, Beltman F, Glazenburg L, Berezikov E (2021) TIM29 is required for enhanced stem cell activity during regeneration in the flatworm

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• Wudarski J, Egger B, Ramm SA, Schärer L, Ladurner P, Zadesenets KS, Rubtsov NB, Mouton S, Berezikov E .(2020) The free-living flatworm Macrostomum lignano. EvoDevo
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• Wudarski J, Ustyantsev K, Glazenburg L, Berezikov E. (2019). Influence of temperature on development, reproduction and regeneration in the flatworm model organism, Macrostomum lignano. Zoological Letters
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• Mouton S, Grudniewska M, Glazenburg L, Guryev V, Berezikov E (2018) Resilience to aging in the regeneration-capable flatworm Macrostomum lignano. Aging Cell.  
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• Grudniewska M, Mouton S, Grelling M, Wolters AHG, Kuipers J, Giepmans BNG, Berezikov E (2018) A novel flatworm-specific gene implicated in reproduction in Macrostomum lignano. Scientific Reports.
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• Wudarski J, Simanov D, Ustyantsev K, de Mulder K, Grelling M, Grudniewska M, Beltman F, Glazenburg L, Demircan T, Wunderer J, Qi W, Vizoso DB, Weissert PM, Olivieri D, Mouton S, Guryev V, Aboobaker A, Schärer L, Ladurner P, Berezikov E.(2017) Efficient transgenesis and annotated genome sequence of the regenerative flatworm model Macrostomum lignano. Nature Communications  
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• Grudniewska M, Mouton S, Simanov D, Beltman F, Grelling M, de Mulder K, Arindrarto W, Weissert PM, van der Elst S, Berezikov E. (2016) Transcriptional signatures of somatic neoblasts and germline cells in Macrostomum lignano. Elife.  
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• Berezikov E. (2011) Evolution of microRNA diversity and regulation in animals. Nature Reviews Genetics.
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• de Wit E, Linsen SE, Cuppen E, Berezikov E. (2009) Repertoire and evolution of miRNA genes in four divergent nematode species. Genome Res.
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• Berezikov E, Guryev V, van de Belt J, Wienholds E, Plasterk RH, Cuppen E. (2005) Phylogenetic shadowing and computational identification of human microRNA genes. Cell.
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