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Predictive Epigenetics: Fusing Theory and Experiment

Descrizione del progetto

Fusione di epigenetica teorica e sperimentale

Le modifiche epigenetiche del DNA e della cromatina, quali la metilazione, l’acetilazione e l’ubiquitinazione degli istoni, attivano una regolazione genica che modula gli stati di attività dei geni. Le proteine epigenetiche modificano migliaia di geni, tra cui regolatori dello sviluppo, soppressori tumorali e molecole di segnalazione. Il campo dell’epigenetica è dominato e sovraccarico di informazioni a causa dell’enorme quantità di megadati generati. Finanziato dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto PEP-NET mira a un cambiamento di paradigma nella gestione delle informazioni generate attraverso una combinazione di epigenetica teorica e sperimentale. La rete di ricerca del progetto insegnerà ai giovani ricercatori come utilizzare esperimenti quantitativi con modelli teorici predittivi e come applicare queste conoscenze per comprendere le funzioni epigenetiche.

Obiettivo

Epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation are profoundly implicated in human health and disease. However, we are still far from a complete mechanistic understanding of many epigenetic processes. Without an understanding of mechanisms we cannot fully understand function in healthy cells, in disease states, and the effects and side effects of therapeutic interventions. This severely limits the development of healthcare strategies. Research in epigenetics has typically been based on experiments and not on theory. Although this has delivered large amounts of information, information alone is not sufficient. Further progress urgently needs a paradigm shift in the way in which we study epigenetics, namely: epigenetics needs mathematics. Mathematical models are essential to capture and understand the complex, dynamic and stochastic nature of epigenetic regulation. Models are immensely powerful because they identify unifying concepts and enable predictions of system properties. Modelling epigenetic processes not only holds the key to a deep mechanistic understanding, but also ultimately, to drug response predictions, patient-specific diagnoses and new therapies. One of the greatest challenges to uniting biology and mathematics is the barrier between disciplines, because education in each field has traditionally been mono-disciplinary. The PEP-NET ITN will overcome these barriers by uniting 16 outstanding European academic laboratories and companies who have pioneered the successful combination of theoretical and experimental epigenetics. PEP-NET will train a new cohort of 15 European researchers to combine quantitative experiments with predictive theoretical models, and to apply this knowledge to basic and applied questions of epigenetic function.

Parole chiave

Coordinatore

HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITAET ZU BERLIN
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 758 365,20
Indirizzo
UNTER DEN LINDEN 6
10117 Berlin
Germania

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Regione
Berlin Berlin Berlin
Tipo di attività
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Collegamenti
Costo totale
€ 758 365,20

Partecipanti (10)

Partner (5)