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

Mono-allelic gene expression is a molecular phenomenon by which gene products are produced from a single allele in each cell. This has been shown to be a crucial aspect of the epigenetics regulation of different biological systems such as X chromosome inactivation in mammalian females, or the regulation of pluripotency in stem cells. We are interested in investigating mono-allelic gene expression in pathogens, where it plays a key role during the infection process. To do so, we employ high-throughput genome-wide techniques, such as ChIP-seq or RNA-seq, to examine chromatin and gene expression changes that occur in the pathogen¹s genome over the course of an infection. Our goal in doing these experiments is to understand the molecular mechanisms that control mono-allelic gene expression and how they are regulated, which, in turn, will help us suggest new therapeutic approaches to treat these infections.

People involved:

• Maria Siegling, PhD student
• Helena Reyes, Research Assistant