Unravelling the dynamic regulation of transcriptional networks by chromatin and transcription factors   — ASN Events

Unravelling the dynamic regulation of transcriptional networks by chromatin and transcription factors   (#296)

Jazmine Humphreys 1 , Milos Tanurdzic 1
  1. School of Biological Sciences , University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia

Recent development of new technologies to precisely manipulate and study genomes in living cells has started a revolution in biological research and its applications. These technologies are appealing to plant biologists as they can be used for many purposes, from studying gene regulatory networks in development to the improvement of specific crop traits.  A challenge to our understanding of genome function is the ability to exploit these technologies throughout a wide range of plant species. My current work involves applying new technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9, TARGET and ATAC-seq to plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana, garden pea (Pisum sativum) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) to provide information-rich, genome wide analysis methods. These technologies will provide data on transcription factor binding sites, chromatin accessibility at regulatory elements and chromatin remodelling in response to signalling. To begin addressing my research questions, I have established these three technologies in Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant species and have begun introducing these techniques in garden pea. In order to clarify the cellular processes that lead to a change in chromatin architecture and regulation, I will apply TARGET and ATAC-seq to determine the immediate downstream effects of transcription factor binding in response to a signal i.e. hormones. Furthermore, I am particularly interested in elucidating the roles of epigenetic regulators in plant development by generating heritable targeted gene mutations using CRISPR/Cas9 and utilising existing mutant lines. By establishing these techniques in my own research I hope to provide universal methods for functional genome analysis across a wide range of plant species, including domesticated crops.

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