How does the organization of our chromosomes influence the activity of genes?
The Chromatin Dynamics group studies this question by linking 3D DNA structure to the binding of insulator proteins and the presence of histone modifications in human, mouse and Drosophila cells.
The Chromatin Dynamics Group started its operations in 2014. We study how the regulatory functions of epigenetic mechanisms, insulator proteins and the 3D organization of the genome act together to determine stable and reliable transcriptional programs. To answer these questions, we study human, mouse and Drosophila cells by developing and using mostly genomics approaches (Hi-C, 4C-seq, ChIP-seq, MadID, multi-contact 3C using Nanopore sequencing).
Using a toolbox of genomics technologies, we work on four projects: (1) allele-specific genome organization of imprinted gene domains linked to the transcriptional regulation of imprinted genes, (2) cell-to-cell variation of genome organization linked to the dynamics of insulator protein binding, (3) stability of genome organization during development and ageing linked to epigenetic mechanisms and (4) impact of mutations and epimutations on insulator protein binding and genome organization in cancer cells.