Objective Blood stem cells provide the constant supply of new blood cells throughout a person’s lifetime. Their transcriptional regulation, i.e. the fine tuning of which genes should be active at any given time, is critical for their normal function. Moreover, a large number of leukaemias arise, when this fine balance of gene activities is disturbed. However, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for setting the appropriate gene activities in blood stem cells. Transcription factors are responsible for controlling the activity of other genes and many of the transcription factors important for the normal function of blood stem cells are also active in the cell that forms blood platelets, the megakaryocyte. This proposal aims to compare the gene regulatory programs of blood stem cells and megakaryocytes. The focus will be on a triad of regulatory transcription factors: Gata2/Fli1/Scl, which have recently been shown to be essential for the development of blood cells during embryogenesis. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesdevelopmental biologymedical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologiesstem cellsmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologyleukemia Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008 - Marie Curie Action: "Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) Coordinator THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Address Trinity lane the old schools CB2 1TN Cambridge United Kingdom See on map Region East of England East Anglia Cambridgeshire CC Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Bertie Gottgens (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 170 733,61