Professor Dr Bengt Nordén

Research Priorities: Optical linear dichroism spectroscopy, development of novel DNA-binding ligands
Bengt Nordén is a Swedish chemist. He conducts fundamental research regarding a variety of issues, though his approach remains consistent: He always examines DNA from a biological perspective. Using this approach, Nordén searches for, for example, novel principles for identifying long DNA sequences and mechanisms for genetic recombination.
The latter refers to a reorganisation of genetic material. This means that the genes, too, are recombined, thus causing their characteristics to change. The genetic variability which occurs this way is the basis for improved adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Currently, Bengt Nordén is focusing on homologous recombination in the contexts of cancer and sterility, and as it relates to CRISPR-Cas. Despite much research, the mechanisms with which the human DNA-binding protein Rad51 and the bacterial protein RecA search for homology (commonality) and carry out strand exchange are still not understood on an atomic level. If scientists were to succeed in understanding the mechanisms of recombination as well as in deducing generalisable effects on the management of DNA in Rad51-CRISPR Cas9 and other contexts, this would pave the way for important future medical applications.
Additionally, Bengt Nordén founded the organisation “Molecular Frontiers”, in which many Nobel laureates are involved. This internationally active organisation aims to identify scientific breakthroughs as early as possible as well as to pique young people’s interest in science.