Our goal is to uncover the molecular mechanisms that allow cells to establish and maintain their identity.
We study how gene regulation is achieved in the context of chromatin, including how DNA packaged into nucleosomes is dynamically accessed by transcription factors, and how chromatin complexes assembled on target genes heritably regulate transcription.
Project 1: Epigenetic memory and histone function.
Histone proteins are central to how genomic information is packaged and interpreted. We investigate how chemical modification of histones contribute to the establishment and maintenance of epigenetic states.
Recent work from our lab reveals that specific histone modifications (e.g. H3K4, H3K9, H3K27) play key roles in shaping gene expression programs, often in ways that challenge conventional expectations.
We are also developing new genetic systems to directly manipulate histone function in vivo, enabling precise tests of long-standing models of epigenetic regulation.
Project 2: Dynamic control of enhancers and chromatin accessibility.
Developmental gene expression depends on the precise activation and deactivation of enhancers in both space and time. Chromatin packaging plays a central role in this process. We study how transcription factors access these regulatory elements to activate gene expression, and how open enhancers are subsequently returned to a closed, quiescent state to terminate transcription.
By combining genomic approaches like ATAC-seq and CUT&RUN with sophisticated Drosophila genetics, we characterize the mechanisms by which chromatin accessibility changes over developmental time and across tissues.
Approaches and Tools:
We use an integrated toolkit, including:
- Drosophila genetics and transgenesis
- CRISPR genome engineering
- ATAC-seq, CUT&RUN, ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, Hi-C
- Quantitative microscopy
- Bioinformatics
