< Back to previous page

Project

Deciphering gene regulatory networks and cis-regulatory codes in Drosophila through a combination of genetic perturbations, digital gene expression, and bioinformatics.

Gene regulation is fundamental to the execution of developmental programs, the generation of cellular and evolutionary diversity, and the aetiology of disease. Recent advances in regulatory genomics have provided insight into some aspects of transcriptional regulation, but the overall knowledge of the genomic cis-regulatory code and the emerging transcriptional networks, remains sparse. The aims of this research project are to unravel transcriptional networks and to elucidate novel aspects of the syntax and semantics of cis-regulatory logic through an integrated computaitonal end experimental approach. Using Drosophila eye development as a model system, and taking advantage of recent progress both in digital gene expression technologies and in Drosophila genetics, we will construct a compendium of transcriptome perturbations throughout the developing compound eye. Next, we will dissect this compendium in silico to predict direct regulatory interactions between transcription factors and target enhancers, and validate the predictions in vivo through enhancer-reporter assays. Novel methods realized in this project on a model system will deliver a basis for regulatory data modelling and extrapolation that is necessary to overcome the prohibitive number of experimental conditions that currently hinders the annotation of the regulatory genome in human.
Date:1 Jan 2011 →  31 Dec 2014
Keywords:Drosophila, Transcriptional target identification, Genome regulatory networks, Cis-regulatory modules, Regulatory sequence analysis, Transcriptomics, Enhancer
Disciplines:Scientific computing, Bioinformatics and computational biology, Public health care, Public health services, Genetics, Systems biology, Molecular and cell biology, Animal biology