Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey

Our group investigates how transcription factors, co-regulators, and specific chromatin structures are assembled into enhanceosomes, multiprotein complexes that control gene expression over distances of many kilobases. These complexes are scattered throughout our genomes, selectively reading the genetic code and the epigenetic landscape to allow the cell to integrate external stimuli and respond with genomic output. Different combinations of transcription factors, co-regulators, and chromatinmodifications can respond uniquely to cellular states and our goal is to understand the rules via which these complexes operate. We discover these processes in the healthy intestinal epithelium and then dissect each component part using mouse genetics. We then compare how these processes are disrupted in intestinal disease with the goal of unraveling the causes and discovering the cures for intestinal health.