RNA regulatory principles of engineering fate in living systems

How the genome is dynamically decoded to create and maintain the diverse cell fates and tissue architectures of the human body remains a fundamental question. While transcription and chromatin regulation have been extensively studied, RNA metabolism is the critical interface where genomic information is executed in space and time, orchestrating cellular identity, tissue self-organization, and regenerative capacity. We investigate how distinct layers of RNA regulation; splicing, subcellular localization, translation, and RNA modifications; control, interact and crosstalk to regulate gene expression programs that define and maintain human cell fate and cell identity. Using human pluripotent stem cell based differentiation and organoid models, genome engineering, and systems-level functional genomics, we reconstruct human development and disease to uncover RNA-centered gene regulatory circuits. The long-term goal is to define the RNA regulatory logic of tissue self-organization, providing a blueprint for how organs form, maintain function, and regenerate. I will give a brief overview of our work, the tools we use and a short summary of our recent preprint.

The SCALE lunch seminar will take place in a hybrid form. All interested are invited to attend in person at the lecture hall of the MPI-BP with coffee and a light lunch afterwards. At the same time, the lecture will also be streamed online via zoom. The zoom link will be sent by e-mail to the SCALE mailing list. To subscribe to the mailing list, please send an e-mail to scale-office@uni-frankfurt.de.