Pancreatic cancer is a malignant disease that typically does not respond well to conventional therapy. Recently, a sub-group of pancreatic cancer patients, in whom the tumors are deficient in a genetic repair mechanism, was characterized. Consequently, these tumors respond better to DNA-damage-inducing drugs. Nevertheless, these tumors also rapidly develop resistance to treatment. By combining genetics and biochemistry, the research will map the metabolic profile of these tumors, in order to decipher mechanisms of resistance to therapy and identify ways to overcome them.