Research
We use structural and cell biology approaches to study the spatial organisation of chromatin and how its dynamic structure underlies organismal development.
The human genome is hierarchically organized in dynamic assemblies of proteins and DNA, known as chromatin. These assemblies enable robust regulation of gene expression and cell cycle progression. Research in the lab is motivated by the following questions:
- What are the molecular rules governing chromatin organization?
- What are the structural elements that determine cell fate and function?
To tackle these questions, we draw on cell biology and cryo-ET combined with focused ion beam (FIB) thinning methods to resolve the molecular detail of specific chromatin regions in differentiating stem cells.
Through complementary analysis by single-particle cryo-EM, biochemistry and biophysics, we aim to understand how chromatin factors and remodellers associated with these regions give rise to structure and how structure couples to gene activity.
