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SUMMARY:The Transcription Factor Titration Effect
DTSTART:20170202T140000
DTEND:20170202T150000
DTSTAMP:20260406T194625Z
UID:95ff754a076747b6211ae757c18b2213c0ffa7c75b5fe76c68f4454a
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Franz Weinert\, California Institute of Technology\nAbstra
 ct:\nDeveloping a quantitative understanding of gene regulation challenges
  our knowledge of the underlying molecular processes. Additionally\, it pr
 ovides a framework for the creation of synthetic genetic circuits where\, 
 much like in the case of electronic circuits\, the output can be predicted
  from the design. To my way of thinking\, only when the designs are based 
 upon predictive understanding will the field of synthetic biology really b
 e able to deliver on its potential.\nPrevious models of gene regulation ar
 e often built around a picture of regulatory proteins called transcription
  factors acting on a single copy of their target gene. This idealization h
 owever\, ignores the fact that transcription factors often regulate multip
 le genes\, e.g. multiple identical copies of the target gene as well as ad
 ditional genes that are regulated by the same transcription factors.\nIn m
 y talk\, I will present a phenomenon we have termed the transcription fact
 or titration effect. The key point is that when the number of transcriptio
 n factors is comparable to the number of copies of the gene controlled by 
 that transcription factor\, there are very strong (100-fold) effects on th
 e resulting level of gene expression.  In fact\, the mere presence of una
 ffiliated\, specific transcription factor binding sites leads to an identi
 cal result.\nUsing a thermodynamic model\, we have very precise prediction
 s for this effect and I will present a diverse collection of tests of thes
 e ideas using video microscopy of live bacteria by varying the number of g
 ene copies on both chromosomes and plasmids\, as well as by putting transc
 ription factor binding sites in our cells on “competitor plasmids” tha
 t simply deplete available transcription factors. The predictions we make 
 about the behavior of these regulatory situations are parameter free and y
 et\, are in impressively good agreement with what we observe experimentall
 y.
LOCATION:PH H3 31 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==PH%20H3%2031
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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