About the research

Although all cells of an organism share the same genetic information, they selectively access this information in a cell type- and context-dependent manner, for instance through expression and binding of specific transcription factors (TFs). Epigenetic mechanisms, such as post-translational histone modifications (PTHMs) have been identified as central in regulating TF-DNA interactions. During cellular differentiation, the distribution of PTHMs is modulated to reflect the new cell state. What regulates this redistribution of PTHMs is still largely unknown. Our lab combines the development of single-cell multi-omics technologies together with perturbation experiments to understand how cell type-specific epigenomes emerge during mammalian development. For this purpose, we use gastruloids, a state-of-the-art in vitro differentiation system that recapitulates key aspects of embryonic development, including the emergence of cell type-specific epigenomes. We are supported by an ERC starting grant to decipher these fundamental processes.