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

Our research focuses on the mechanisms that control chromatin dynamics during transcription and how they coordinate with the processes that safeguard the genome integrity. Total RNA sequencing revealed an unexpectedly vast and dynamic transcriptome repertoire, where events of intragenic transcription initiation or extensions of transcriptional units beyond their annotated boundaries are frequent. We are exploring the chromatin features that sustain these alternative transcription episodes and the specific epigenetic programs that regulate their expression patterns. To this end, we employ a multidisciplinary research strategy that combines chromatin biochemistry and live-cell microscopy with next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics tools. Since the frequency of these alternative transcription events is significantly altered in several cancers, a major focus of our research is to understand how do they contribute to cancer progression.

People involved in the EpiGeneSys project:

• Ana Paula Leite, Postdoc
• Ana Rita Grosso, Postdoc
• Sílvia Carvalho, Research Fellow