Biologists and chemists at the University of Konstanz have deciphered a molecular cellular mechanism related to the development of cancer. They report the interaction between the tumour-suppressor protein p53, known as the “guardian of the genome,” and the enzyme PARP-1, the “caretaker of the genome.” The collaboration with the University of Ulm and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) resulted in an article published in Nucleic Acids Research.