We are interested in the mechanisms that underlie epigenetic memory of cell fate decisions. In metazoans, the organization of genomic DNA into chromatin provides an opportunity to tightly regulate gene accessibility and differential readout required for cellular differentiation. In particular, diverse chemical modifications of nucleosomes and DNA fundamentally shape chromatin structure and are thought to reinforce maintenance of expression states through genome replication, independently of the initial stimulus.
The dynamic regulation of differential chromatin modification states and their contribution to the epigenetic inheritance of cell identity remains enigmatic. We use synthetic biology approaches in mouse stem cells to manipulate chromatin modifications and study their dynamics and inheritance.
