Scientists have known that the protein complex known as FANCI-FANCD2 responds to DNA damage and repairs cross-linking, but the details of how the complex works have been unknown.

This is due to their ability to cope with highly dimensional complex datasets such as those developed by protein mass spectrometry and DNA microarray experiments.

This protein complex was found to bind to locations on the DNA strand that the researchers had artificially damaged, suggesting that it is directly involved in the repair process.