What we work on

Only a small amount of the genome contains genes that code for proteins. In fact, much of the genome is transcribed into RNA, but the importance of these non-coding RNAs is only just becoming clear. In the Bose lab, we study one type, called enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), that come from regulatory DNA sequences called enhancers. We use multidisciplinary techniques to study how eRNAs interact with the epigenetic-machines that control gene expression. From functional genomics at a cellular level, to biochemistry and cryo-electron microscopy at a molecular level, we are fascinated by the molecular mechanisms and structural architecture of these complex machines and their interactions with RNA.

 

Enhancers and Chromatin

Enhancers are fundamental regulators of gene expression, located far away from their target genes. How do enhancers change the chromatin environment to drive gene expression?

 

Enhancer RNA

Enhancers are transcribed into non-protein coding RNAs called enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) that are important for gene expression. How do eRNAs interact with enzymes to drive enhancer function?

 

Epigenetic Enzymes

Chromatin structure is regulated by epigenetic modifications that are dependent on a plethora of epigenetic-enzymes. How is the activity of these enzymes regulated by interactions with eRNAs?