DNA regulatory regions: the logic, variability and rules of association
Event details
| Date | 30.06.2014 |
| Hour | 10:30 › 11:30 |
| Speaker |
Dr. Mikhail Spivakov Regulatory Genomics Group Babraham Institute, Cambridge UK |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
BIOENGINEERING SEMINAR
Abstract:
DNA regulatory regions, such as promoters and enhancers, are the key nodes of transcriptional control in time and space. Previous work by ourselves and others on the organisation and variability of regulatory regions has suggested significant flexibility and robustness in their design. The fact that genes are often controlled by multiple regulatory regions adds another degree of freedom to gene regulation. We are currently investigating the "rules of association" between DNA regulatory regions in the context of enhancer-promoter interactions, as well as during V(D)J recombination, a process that also involves the formation of DNA looping contacts. Our work in progress on these topics, along with previous research, paints a picture of the generally probabilistic nature of cis-regulatory organisation, with multiple stochastic events combining into deterministic outcomes.
Bio:
Mikhail Spivakov graduated from Department of Biology at Moscow State University in 2002 and moved to London to do a PhD with Amanda Fisher and Matthias Merkenschlager at MRC Clinical Sciences Centre (Imperial College). His PhD projects investigated chromatin events underlying cell differentiation, and about half of his work was ‘wet-lab’ and half computational.
Mikhail then joined EMBL on an Interdisciplinary Fellowship to work with Ewan Birney (EMBL-EBI, near Cambridge) and Eileen Furlong (EMBL Heidelberg) on the regulatory organization of cardiac enhancers. At EMBL, he also contributed to the ENCODE project, studying the population genetics of transcription factor binding sites. In addition, Mikhail has been involved in the establishment of a population genomics resource in medaka fish that will become available in 2014.
In November 2012, Mikhail started a Regulatory Genomics group at the Babraham Institute as part of the Nuclear Dynamics Programme.
Abstract:
DNA regulatory regions, such as promoters and enhancers, are the key nodes of transcriptional control in time and space. Previous work by ourselves and others on the organisation and variability of regulatory regions has suggested significant flexibility and robustness in their design. The fact that genes are often controlled by multiple regulatory regions adds another degree of freedom to gene regulation. We are currently investigating the "rules of association" between DNA regulatory regions in the context of enhancer-promoter interactions, as well as during V(D)J recombination, a process that also involves the formation of DNA looping contacts. Our work in progress on these topics, along with previous research, paints a picture of the generally probabilistic nature of cis-regulatory organisation, with multiple stochastic events combining into deterministic outcomes.
Bio:
Mikhail Spivakov graduated from Department of Biology at Moscow State University in 2002 and moved to London to do a PhD with Amanda Fisher and Matthias Merkenschlager at MRC Clinical Sciences Centre (Imperial College). His PhD projects investigated chromatin events underlying cell differentiation, and about half of his work was ‘wet-lab’ and half computational.
Mikhail then joined EMBL on an Interdisciplinary Fellowship to work with Ewan Birney (EMBL-EBI, near Cambridge) and Eileen Furlong (EMBL Heidelberg) on the regulatory organization of cardiac enhancers. At EMBL, he also contributed to the ENCODE project, studying the population genetics of transcription factor binding sites. In addition, Mikhail has been involved in the establishment of a population genomics resource in medaka fish that will become available in 2014.
In November 2012, Mikhail started a Regulatory Genomics group at the Babraham Institute as part of the Nuclear Dynamics Programme.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free