In today's episode we speak to Dr Birgitte Regenberg and Dr Sam Keating from the Regenberg Lab, University of Copenhagen, about extrachromosomal circular DNA and it's significance in human disease.
Circular DNA originates from chromosomes but differs from linear chromosomes as  they mostly don’t have centromeres - so if a gene is trapped on a circle, it can amplify its copy number to much above the normal 2 copies in a few cell cycles. If the gene is expressed, this means that much more protein is produced than it should be. 
The Regenberg lab aims to understand how circular DNA is formed, maintained and how it affects the biology of the cell - thereby looking at eccDNA growth advantages or disadvantages in things such as aging and cancer. 
Contact the lab here https://twitter.com/regenberg_lab
Find the labs website here https://www.regenberglab.net/