Herman Fung lab
We use structural and cell biology approaches to study the spatial organization of chromatin and how its dynamic structure underlies organismal development.
The 3D structure of chromatin strongly influences a cell's gene program, fate and function. Our lab uses cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to visualize native chromatin inside cells and quantitatively analyze their structural changes during cellular differentiation. Combined with single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and biophysical analysis of key chromatin complexes, we seek to uncover the molecular basis of gene activation and repression central to development.
Keeping in step with biology, we develop correlative imaging and labelling approaches to enable multi-scale targeted studies of cellular processes by light and electron microscopy.
