Abstract: Recent work from our lab and others highlights that such foundational aspects as genome organization, transcription and environmental input are regulated in unique and novel ways in early development and pluripotent stem cells. Our research is organized around 3 principal avenues of inquiry, each of which has several points of synergy with the other avenues:

1 - How is the permissive chromatin state of pluripotent stem cells regulated, and how does it contribute to the activation of lineage programs and the coordination of developmental timing?

2 - What is the role of transposable elements, generally neglected “dark matter” of the genome, in the regulation of lineage decisions during development?

3 - How to does the environment impact the epigenetic state and function of pluripotent cells?

Selected publications:

Bulut-Karslioglu A., et al., 2018. The Transcriptionally Permissive Chromatin State of Embryonic Stem Cells Is Acutely Tuned to Translational Output. Cell Stem Cell

Percharde M., et al., 2017. Hypertranscription in Development, Stem Cells, and Regeneration. Dev Cell

Bulut-Karslioglu A., et al., 2016. Inhibition of mTOR induces a paused pluripotent state. Nature

Guzman-Ayala M., et al., 2015. Chd1 is essential for the high transcriptional output and rapid growth of the mouse epiblast. Development

Lin C.J., et al., 2014. Hira-mediated H3.3 incorporation is required for DNA replication and ribosomal RNA transcription in the mouse zygote. Dev Cell

Please contact Xiaohua Shen (xshen@tsinghua.edu.cn) if you like to meet with Miguel on the 15th of May. Thanks