Research Focus
Our research centers on the functional and dynamic architecture of chromatin in cell nuclei during differentiation and aging processes.
Chromatin organization and the control of gene expression are fundamental determinants of cellular life. Structural and functional components of nuclei determine chromatin organization and are in turn influenced by the dynamic landscape of chromatin. The interplay between the different constituents of chromatin is an important element of epigenetic control of gene expression that is characteristic of each differentiated cell type. The coordinated generation of different chromatin states within the three-dimensional nuclear space is a hallmark of cell differentiation processes. Consequently, regular and aberrant differentiation processes, organ development and age-related variations in structural tissue homeostasis reflect the particular importance of coordinated chromatin organization in healthy tissues and in pathological conditions.
Main Objectives
- We wish to gain insight into the dynamic interdependence between 3D-chromatin arrangement and gene transcription during differentiation, aging and disease
- At the tissue and organ level, we aim to understand the opposing mechanisms that regulate tissue regeneration and the age-dependent decline in structural tissue homeostasis throughout an organism´s lifespan.