Contact information
benjamin.schuster-boeckler@ludwig.ox.ac.uk
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8892-5133
He/Him
Colleges
Benjamin Schuster-Böckler
Associate Professor
I head the computational genomics group at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.
My group studies the systemic genomic changes that accompany the formation of cancer. For example, in previous work I established that epigenetic histone modifications have a profound influence on the mutational landscape in cancer cells. More recently, my lab analysed the influence of different DNA modifications on mutability, and described how DNA replication changes the distribution of mutations in cancer genomes. We continue to work on methods to identify new carcinogenic mechanisms and find ways to improve cancer prevention.
More recently, my group was closely involved in the development of TAPS, a novel method for measuring epigenetic DNA methylation at base resolution. This technology can be applied to tumour samples to better understand cancer-associated genetic and epigenetic changes. It is also highly suited for diagnostic applications in the context of circulating cell-free DNA. We are involved in numerous clinical trials, e.g. in oesophageal and liver cancer, to test how TAPS can improve early cancer detection and treatment stratification.
Key publications
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Human DNA polymerase ε is a source of C>T mutations at CpG dinucleotides
Tomkova M. et al, (2024), Nature Genetics, 56, 2506 - 2516
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Bisulfite-free direct detection of 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine at base resolution.
Liu Y. et al, (2019), Nature biotechnology, 37, 424 - 429
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Mutational signature distribution varies with DNA replication timing and strand asymmetry.
Tomkova M. et al, (2018), Genome Biol, 19
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5-hydroxymethylcytosine marks regions with reduced mutation frequency in human DNA.
Tomkova M. et al, (2016), Elife, 5
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Chromatin organization is a major influence on regional mutation rates in human cancer cells.
Schuster-Böckler B. and Lehner B., (2012), Nature, 488, 504 - 507
Recent publications
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Sonic hedgehog medulloblastoma cells in co-culture with cerebellar organoids converge towards in vivo malignant cell states
van Essen MJ. et al, (2025), Neuro-Oncology Advances, 7
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Gestational trophoblastic disease: understanding the molecular mechanisms of placental tumours.
Nicheperovich A. et al, (2025), Disease models & mechanisms, 18
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Human DNA polymerase ε is a source of C>T mutations at CpG dinucleotides
Tomkova M. et al, (2024), Nature Genetics, 56, 2506 - 2516
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Prospective cohort for early detection of liver cancer (Pearl): a study protocol
Khanna K. et al, (2024), BMJ Open, 14, e085541 - e085541