My research lies at the crossroad of molecular biology, biophysics and genetics – for want of better identified as ‘molecular cell biology’. I have been working on the architecture of eukaryotic chromatin focusing on molecular mechanisms that drive DNA recombination events. Since my PhD fellowship (and later as a faculty member of the Dept. of Biophysics and Cell Biology) I have addressed central problems of genome instability: key findings include (1) the discovery of persistent single-stranded DNA breaks in genomic regions that are prone to rearrangements in human malignancies, (2) the discovery of ribonucleoportein particles (RNA-DNA hybrids) in the proximity of these nicks. The latter finding was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, which allowed me to establish fruitful collaborations involving leading experts in the field; e.g. Caroline Austin (Newcastle University, UK) who is an expert of topoisomerases and Alain Nicolas (Institut Curie, Paris) who then became my post-doc supervisor. A major strand of my work involves molecular knowledge on the developmentally (genetically) programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs): I have been studying DSB formation during the differentiation program of meiosis in S cerevisiae. After 5 years of intense workload, together with the Nicolas group (Paris) and the group of Vincent Géli (Marseille) we found a cause-effect relationship between meiotic DSBs and the presence of an epigenetic tag, H3K4me3. This breakthrough – providing a definitive and unexpected explanation for the link between H3 lysine4 methylation and recombination – was published in Science (as joint-first author with Laurent Acquaviva, CRCM, Marseille) and it was highlighted in Nature Reviews Mol Cell Biol and in Molecular Cell. In 2015 I won the excellence grant of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, called Momentum, and currently I am the group leader of the MTA-DE Momentum Genome Architecture and Recombination Research Group.

• PERSONAL INFORMATION

Family name, First name: SZÉKVÖLGYI, Lóránt
Web sites:   http://geneart.med.unideb.hu/ ;   http://rcmm.med.unideb.hu/
Tel.:+36 52 411 717/ 50230; Fax: +36 52 255 990

• EDUCATION

2008-2010     Post-doc (Alain Nicolas lab, Institut Curie, Paris, France)
2007                Ph.D. (Theoretical medicine, chromatin structure), University of Debrecen/ Hungary
Supervisor: Gábor Szabó (Dept. of Biophysics and Cell Biology)
2002                M.Sc. /molecular biology, biochemistry/ University of Debrecen/ Hungary

• POSITIONS

2015 –             Group leader
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences

2015 –             Senior lecturer
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, Hungary

2014 –             Principal investigator (Genome architecture and recombination group)
Research Centre for Molecular Medicine, Debrecen, Hungary

2013 –             Senior lecturer
Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, University of Debrecen, Hungary

2007 – 2013    Assistant lecturer
Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, University of Debrecen, Hungary

• FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS

2017-2021         H2020-NKFIH GINOP2.3.2. In consortium with the Biological Research Centre of Szeged.
Role : PI.

2016                    Institut d’études avancées (IMéRA), Marseille, France;
Role: visiting scientist at the Cancer Research Centre of Marseille (CRCM)

2016-2018          NKFIH-ERC_15 Research Grant / National Research, Development and Innovation Office;
Role: PI.

2015-2020         Momentum Research Grant / The Hungarian Academy of Sciences;
Role: PI. Host: Research Centre for Molecular Medicine/ University of Debrecen

2014 – 2016     CRP-ICGEB International Research Grant / Trieste, Italy
Role: PI.

2013 – 2014   Zoltán Magyary Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Convergence Regions / Hungary

2012 – 2016   EU-FP7 Marie Curie European Carrier Integration Grant  (acronym: GLORI)

2011 – 2014   OTKA-PD Research Grant
Role: PI.

2008 – 2010    EU-FP7 Marie Curie intra-European Fellowship
Host: Institut Curie, Paris, France (Recombination and Genome Instability Unit / PI: Alain Nicolas) Acronym: EMRES

2006    EMBO short-term Fellowship (3 Months) Host: Institut Curie, Paris, France (Recombination and Genome Instability Unit / PI: Alain Nicolas)

• ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS

2016.     Mini-conference on recombination and genome instability: from DNA breaks to crossover pattern formation (20-22. June 2016, The Cancer Research Centre of Marseille (CRCM), France)
Organizer:       http://imera.univ-amu.fr/en/agenda/mini-conference-on-recombination-and-genome-instability-from-dna-breaks-to-crossover-pattern

2014      Danube Scientific Conferences on Epigenetics (2014 Nov 19-21st , Budapest, Hungary)
Speaker. Co-organizer with Bálint Bálint (Debrecen, Hungary), Tamás Arányi (Budapest, Hunagry), Wendy Bickmore (MRC, UK), Imre Boros (Szeged, Hungary), László Nagy ( Sanford Burnham, FL, US), Iannis Talianidis (Fleming Institute, Athens, Greece), László Tora (IGBMC, Strasbourg, France)
http://danube-epigenetics.weebly.com/

2013     23rd Wilhelm Bernhard Workshop on the Cell Nucleus (19-24th Aug 2013, Debrecen, Hungary). Speaker. Co-organizer with Gábor Szabó (Debrecen, Hungary).
http://wbw23.unideb.hu/main.htm

• TEACHING ACTIVITIES

Lectures:
2007-               Biophysics for MD- molecular biologist- and pharmacologist students (atomic physics, radioactivity, X-ray/CT/PET/SPECT/MRI, ultrasound, lasers)
2007-               Cell biology for MD- molecular biologist- and pharmacologist students (chromatin structure, cell cycle, meiosis)
2011-               Modern biophysical methods (fluorescent techniques, FRET, FRAP, FCS)
2011-               Selected topics in cell biology (title: “Recombination: break the genome to save it!”)
2011-               Physics for physiotherapeutic students (electricity, nuclear physics)

Seminars:
2004-             Cell biology, Biophysics, Physics, Biostatistics

Practices:
2002-             Cell biology, Biophysics

• INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

2007 –             Faculty Committee Member / Dept. of Biophysics and Cell Biology/ University of Debrecen
2010–              Faculty Coordinator of Cell Biological practices / Dept. of Biophysics and Cell Biology/ University of Debrecen
2010 –             Ph.D. supervisor and scientific adviser / Doctoral School of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunbiology / Hungary
2011–               Faculty Coordinator of the elective course “Modern biophysical methods” / Dept. of Biophysics and Cell Biology/ University of Debrecen
2014 –              Faculty Coordinator / Students’ Research Society for Medical and Health Sciences/ University of Debrecen

• MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

2003 –            Member / Hungarian Biophysical Society (MBFT)
2008 –            Public Body Member / Hungarian Academy of Sciences
2014 –             Member / Hungarian Biochemical Society (MBKE)
2014 –             Member / Hungarian Genetic Society (MAGE)

• PUBLICATIONS

1. Bársony O, Szalóki G, Türk D, Tarapcsák S, Gutay-Tóth Z, Bacsó Z, Holb IJ, Székvölgyi L, Szabó G, Csanády L, Szakács G, Goda K.
   A single active catalytic site is sufficient to promote transport in P-glycoprotein
   SCI REP 27; 6 (2016)
2. Szekvolgyi L
   Miről mesélnek a kromoszómatörések?
   TERM VIL. 147 (4), 161-164
3. Szekvolgyi L, Ha törik, ha szakad: DNS és genomszerkezet-kutatás a Debreceni Egyetemen
   DEBRECENI SZEMLE 1: (95-99.)  (2016)
4. Szekvolgyi L*, Ohta K, Nicolas A*
   Histone Modifications and Chromatin Remodeling: Impact on the initiation of Meiotic Homologous Recombination
   CSH PERSPECT BIOL. 7 (5), 447-462 (2015)    * joint-corresponding authors
5. Acquaviva L*, Szekvolgyi L*, Dichtl B, Dichtl BS, Saint Andre CD, Nicolas A, Géli V
   The COMPASS Subunit Spp1 Links Histone Methylation to Initiation of Meiotic Recombination
   SCIENCE 339:(6116) pp. 215-218. (2013)    * joint-first authors
6. Szekvolgyi L, Nicolas A
   From meiosis to postmeiotic events: Homologous recombination is obligatory but flexible
   FEBS JOURNAL 277:(3) pp. 571-589. (2010)
7. Szekvolgyi L, Imre L, Minh DXQ, Hegedus E, Bacso Z, Szabo G
   Flow Cytometric and Laser Scanning Microscopic Approaches in Epigenetics Research.
   METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY HumanaPress, 2009. pp.99-112.
8. Máthé C, Beyer D, Erdődi F, Serfőző Z, Székvölgyi L, Vasas G, M-Hamvas M, Jámbrik K, Gonda S, Kiss A, M. Szigeti Z, Surányi G
   Microcystin-LR induces abnormal root development by altering microtubule organization in tissue-cultured common reed (Phragmites australis) plantlets
   AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY 92:(3) pp. 122-130. (2009)
9. Hegedus E, Imre L, Pataki J, Lizanecz E, Szekvolgyi L, Fazakas F, Bacso Z, Toth A, Szabo M, Seres Z, Szabo G
   Heteroduplex analysis using flow cytometric microbead assays to detect deletions, insertions, and single-strand lesions
   CYTOMETRY PART A 73A:(3) pp. 238-245. (2008)
10. Szekvolgyi L, Rakosy Z, Balint LB, Kokai E, Imre L, Vereb G, Bacso Z, Goda K, Varga S, Balazs M, Dombradi V, Nagy L, Szabo G
    Ribonucleoprotein-masked nicks at 50-kbp intervals in the eukaryotic genomic DNA
    PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 104:(38) pp. 14964-14969. (2007)
11. Szekvolgyi L, Hegedus E, Molnar M, Bacso Z, Szarka K, Beck Z, Dombradi V, Austin C, Szabo G
    Nick-forming sequences may be involved in the organization of eukaryotic chromatin into ~50 kbp loops
    HISTOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY 125:(1-2) pp. 63-73. (2006)
12. Szekvolgyi L, Balint L B, Imre L, Goda K, Szabo M, Nagy L, Szabo G
    ChIP-on-beads: Flow-cytometric evaluation of chromatin immunoprecipitation
    CYTOMETRY PART A 69A:(10) pp. 1086-1091. (2006)
13. Pataki J, Szabo M, Lantos E, Szekvolgyi L, Molnar M, Hegedus E, Bacso Z, Kappelmayer J, Lustyik G, Szabo G
    Biological microbeads for flow-cytometric immunoassays, enzyme titrations, and quantitative PCR
    CYTOMETRY PART A 68A:(1) pp. 45-52. (2005)
14. Szilagyi I, Varga T, Szekvolgyi L, Hegedus T, Goda K, Kaczur V, Bacso Z, Nakayama Y, Posafi J, Pongor S, Szabo G
    Non-random features of loop-size chromatin fragmentation
    JOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY 89:(6) 1193-1205. (2003)

• INVITED PRESENTATIONS AT CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS

2016.
2nd Danube Scientific Conferences on Epigenetics (5-8 October 2016, Budapest, Hungary). Invited speaker.
Mini-conference on recombination and genome stability: from DNA breaks to crossover pattern formation (22nd July 2016, Marseille, France). Organizer, speaker.
Institut d’études avancées (IMéRA), Aix Marseille University, France (03. March 2016). Invited speaker.

2015.
6th Central European Genome stability and Dynamics Meeting (9 – 10th October 2015), Biological Research Centre, Szeged, HUNGARY. Invited speaker.
XIV. “Genetikai Műhelyek Magyarországon” Minikonferencia. 2015. szeptember 4, SZBK, Szeged. Invited speaker.
24th Wilhelm Bernhard Workshop on the Cell Nucleus (17-22th August, Wien, Austria). Invited speaker.
EMBO Meiosis conference (30. August-04. September 2015, Oxford, UK). Poster presentation.
MBKE Epigenetikai Szakosztály alakuló ülés (2015.04.16., Budapest). Meghívott előadó.
Hungarian Molecular Life Sciences Conference (27-29th March 2015, Eger, Hungary). Invited speaker.

2014.
Danube Scientific Conferences on Epigenetics (Nov 20-22nd 2014, Budapest). Co-organizer, speaker.
5th Central European DNA Repair Meeting (Oct 10th 2014, Brno, Czech Republic. Invited speaker.
Annual meeting of the Hungarian Biochemical Society. Invited Speaker. (24-27th August, Debrecen, Hungary)
BRC Seminars (21st Jan. 2014, BRC Szeged, Hungary). Invited speaker.

2013.
4th Central European DNA Repair Meeting (Nov 8th 2013, Wien, Austria). Invited speaker.
4th Congress – Personalized Medicine in the mirror of interdisciplinarity (Sept.  6-7th 2013, Eger, Hungary) Invited speaker.
23rd Wilhelm Bernhard Workshop on the Cell Nucleus (19-24th August, Debrecen, Hungary) Co-organizer, speaker.
Hungarian Molecular Life Sciences Conference (Apr 5-7th  2013, Siófok, Hungary). Speaker.

2012.
Three dimensional genome organization seminar (Apr. 16th 2012, DKFZ, Heidelberg). Invited speaker.
1st  Hungarian Epigenetic Conference – basic science and clinical applications (20-21st  Sept. 2012, Budapest, Hungary). Invited speaker. Best short-talk price.

2011.
IX. Magyar Genetikai Kongresszus és XVI. Sejt- és Fejlődésbiológiai Napok (March 25-27th 2011, Siófok, Hungary). Invited speaker.