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

Our aim is to understand what determines the spatial and temporal behavior of chromatin and how this affects two essential functions of the genome: gene expression and the maintenance of genome integrity. To understand these fundamental processes, we are using yeast as a model system, in which nuclear organization is well characterized and to which we can apply genetics, molecular biology, advanced microscopy of living cells and high throughput approaches. More specifically, we aim at deciphering how nuclear organization (especially the spatial distribution of telomeres) is regulated in response to changes in environmental conditions, as well as genotoxic insults, and what are the consequences of this regulation for genome stability and gene expression patterns. Possibly linked to the previous questions, our other main goal is to decipher the link between replication stress and gene silencing that we have recently discovered (Dubarry et al, 2011).

Team:

• Myriam Ruault (post-doc)
• Ivaylo Nikolov (PhD student)
• Micol Guidi (PhD student)