Illuminating cell fate decisions through transcriptional regulation at the quantitative and network level

CCNY Data Science, Networks, and Biology Seminar

Time and place

3:30 PM on Wednesday, October 26th, 2016; NAC 7/219

Prof. Mark Emerson (CCNY Biology)

Abstract

The genome of a multicellular organism is responsible for directing much of the construction and organization of that organism during development. Fundamental to this role is the process of differential transcription, which produces gene products in some cells but not others. This is critical for the formation of specific cells or structures in the correct proportion and location within the embryo. Our current framework for this process is that the transcription of genes is controlled by two major components. The first are DNA sequences called cis-regulatory elements usually located in relative proximity to the regulated gene. These elements, through their specific sequence, bind to transcription factor proteins, which ultimately promote or repress the transcription of their associated gene. Despite a complete genome sequence and a large body of work on transcription factors, the precise regulation of genes during development is poorly understood. We explore these issues in the developing eye where the introduction of cis-regulatory elements and transcription factors into developing cells is easily accomplished. In this talk, I will describe our preliminary findings in the development of quantitative assays to measure cis-regulatory element activity and to manipulate their cognate transcription factors during eye development.​