Chromatin Networks

Research Strategy

The Division of Chromatin Networks is an interdisciplinary research team that combines molecular/cell biology and biophysics to develop quantitative descriptions that relate the dynamic organization of the (epi)genome with gene expression programs and functional cell states. Our main research areas comprise nuclear organization with a focus on the contribution of phase separation mechanisms, epigenetic regulation in response to external cytokine stimuli as well as deregulated gene expression and telomere maintenance in cancer. To address the associated biomedical questions, we apply a set of complementary methods that center around: 

1. Quantitative fluorescence microscopy to analyze chromatin organization, transcription activation/silencing as well as protein dynamics/interactions

2. Single cell omics to map transcriptome, open chromatin, surface proteins and B/T cell receptor profiles)

3. Chromatin editing including light-induced effector recruitment

4. Bioinformatic data analysis and biophysical modeling of the underlying regulatory networks.

   

    

   Cellular heterogeneity, differences in the response of cancer cells to drug treatment and cross-talk with non-malignant cells in the microenvironment are fundamental aspects of cancer. Recent technological advancements make it now possible to combine genome-wide single cell omics readouts with a microscopy-based analysis to integrate imaging-based phenotypes and molecular profiles. In our current work, we are establishing and further developing spatially resolved omics approaches. By applying these methods, we resolve structure-function relationships between the organization of chromatin into active and silenced subcompartments, epigenetic signaling and gene expression. In this manner, we will dissect the subclone composition of cancer cells and their interactions with immune cells during treatment to reveal the underlying molecular resistance mechanisms.