Epigenetics and functional genomics

Cell fate determination and phenotypic maintenance depends on the strict coordination between genetic and epigenetic programs. Much is known about the organization of genes and their regulation while the epigenetic modifications that contribute to the expression of subset of genes in different cell types, during development, or in response to the environmental signals, are still poorly understood. 

The objective of our laboratory is the understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which key players in chromatin remodeling establish epigenetic modifications and establish cell fate. This includes site-specific transcription factors, chromatin modifiers as well as non-coding RNAs. Our laboratory combines approaches of molecular biology, cellular and functional genomics to define, on the entire genome, the network of regulatory proteins controlling the transcription and epigenetic modifications in response to environmental signals or during development that can be deregulated in cell transformation. 

Ongoing projects in the laboratory deal with the study of epigenetic modifications that determine immortality and pluripotency of stem cells and those involved in neoplastic transformation.