Research Interests

Structural biology of signal transduction and epigenetic gene regulation

Our research has focused on understanding how signalling pathways control gene expression by epigenetic modulation of chromatin structure. One of the best-understood model systems for metazoan gene regulation is found in the innate immune system, which is crucial to limit pathogen infections: Several groups of pattern recognition receptors induce different signalling pathways leading to production of a variety of antiviral molecules including type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines. Previous work from the laboratory has revealed mechanistic and structural insights into how the interplay between cellular signalling, TF activation and coassembly on transcriptional enhancers controls gene expression (Fig. 1). Higher-order transcription factor complexes such as the enhanceosome frequently recruit the co-activators CBP/p300. CBP/p300 are important to integrate the cellular signals by providing a scaffold function. CBP/p300 also acetylate chromatin and ultimately, in conjunction with remodellers and histone chaperones, makes chromatin permissive for gene transcription.

Scientific Inspiration

JD Bernal! He was maybe one of the most influential scientists of the past century. He realised that analysis of the structure of proteins could be applied to study of life at a fundamental level. His pioneering work at Cambridge in the 1930s laid the foundation of molecular biology.