Epigenetics & Nuclear Dynamics

Epigenetic regulation allows genes to be activated or shut down without changing the DNA sequence. This enables different cells with the same genome to express different genes and is essential for differentiation and development. Epigenetic regulation involves mechanisms that affect chromatin and nucleic acid modifications, non-coding RNA, or the position of genes in the nucleus, to name a few. Epigenetic dysregulation is a common hallmark of cancer and is linked to ageing. We seek to understand development, behaviour, ageing and disease by studying the epigenetic mechanisms underlying these biological processes.

Key techniques used: Next-generation sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), bioinformatics, proteomics, microfluidics, cell culture, genetic crosses (complementation), biochemistry, (super-resolution) microscopy, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy.

Keywords: DNA methylation, histone modifications, nuclear organisation, transposon, piRNA, siRNA, small non-coding RNA, RNA splicing, post-transcriptional regulation, protein homeostasis, protein degradation, RNA modification.

IPP Groups in Epigenetics & Nuclear Dynamics:

GroupDescriptionInstitute
Anton Khmelinskii

Protein quality control & ageing

IMB 
Beat Lutz

Epigenetic mechanisms controlling learning and memory, anxiety and stress coping

UMC 
Benedikt Berninger

Lineage reprogramming glia into neurons

JGU 
Carsten Deppermann

Systems Interactions of Hemostasis

IMB 
Christof Niehrs

DNA DEMETHYLATION, DNA REPAIR AND REPROGRAMMING

IMB 
Daniela Kramer

Regulation of pro-inflammatory gene expression in autoinflammatory diseases, infections and cancer

UMC 
Dorothee Dormann

Molecular mechanisms of RNA-binding protein dysfunction in neurodegenerative dieseases

IMB  JGU 
Edward Lemke

Synthetic biophysics of protein disorder

IMB  JGU 
Eva Wolf

Circadian clocks as gene regulatory systems

JGU 
Joan Barau

Transposable Elements & Genome Stability

IMB 
Nard Kubben

Biology of ageing & ageing-related diseases

IMB 
Peter Baumann

Telomere biology and chromosomal inheritance

IMB  JGU 
Philipp Wild

Systems Medicine approaches to Age-related Diseases in Humans

UMC 
René Ketting

Biology of non-coding rna

IMB 
Roland Strauss

Gene regulation and epigenetics of a lifetime body‐size memory in Drosophila

JGU 
Sandra Schick

CHROMATIN REGULATION in health and disease

IMB 
Sina Wittmann

The Role of Protein Disorder in Transcriptional Regulation

IMB 
Siyao Wang

Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of paternal DNA damage

IMB 
Susann Schweiger

Genetic Diseases of the Central Nervous System

UMC