An ambitious EC-funded research initiative on epigenetics advancing towards systems biology

Research the Groth laboratory focus on how chromatin is replicated to ensure faithful transmission of both genetic and epigenetic information during cell division. We are currently taking complementary genomic and proteomic approaches to identify new molecular mechanisms orchestrating chromatin replication. We have established a high-throughput siRNA screen for new factors implicated in chromatin replication and we are currently validating the first hits. This work involves an ESR from the FP7 Marie Curie ITN Nucleosome4D. From the proteomic angle, we are developing a novel technology to profile newly synthesized chromatin and follow its dynamic changes though the cell cycle. Our goal is to obtain quantitative proteomic data on chromatin restoration and specific changes arising in response to replication damage. We are interested in working together with system biologists within the Epigenesys network to model the process of chromatin replication, and in particular how perturbation of replication would challenge epigenetic integrity.