Cells constantly evaluate and respond to their external environment, a process that is key to important biological pathways such as growth control and differentiation. Changes in the environment that are adverse and often sudden are collectively referred to as 'environmental stress', and it is particularly important that the cells respond to stress in an appropriate manner. Failure to do so can result in the accumulation of damage to DNA, protein and lipids that can contribute to a number of pathogenic conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer as well as to cellular ageing. A key component of stress responses is the profound change in gene expression patterns that lead to the mobilisation of a battery of appropriate defence and repair molecules. We are interested in how these changes take place - how the stress signals are sensed, how subsequent signals are transduced to the nucleus and how the resulting activation and repression of gene transcription is accomplished.