Titre du projet : Epigenome editing to study chromatin remodeling during brain development

Résumé du projet :
uring development a single stem cell gives rise to the trillions of cells that make up the human body. The roadmap that directs this remarkable expansion is encoded in every cell in the form of DNA. Every cell in our body shares the same genetic information, yet there are many different types of cells with very diverse functions. For example, there are over 100 different types of brain cells that function in unique ways to allow the brain to execute its diverse functions. This diversity of cell types is in part achieved through a process called epigenetics. By turning on and off specific sets of genes which are present in the DNA of all cells, unique cell types can be generated throughout development. Our research focuses on the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression and brain cell diversity. In particular we study a family of epigenetic regulators called chromatin remodellers that open and close the structure of DNA (also called chromatin) to regulate gene expression. We develop novel tools to edit the epigenome in living cells and determine the impact on gene expression. The lab uses mouse stem cell cultures, in vivo models and state-of-the-art genomic techniques to study mechanisms of chromatin regulation in the brain. Our aim is to gain novel insights into neurodevelopmental disorders like autism which are frequently caused by mutations in epigenetic regulators.