Project description
Chromatin analysis with single-molecule precision
The fundamental unit of chromatin in the living cell is the nucleosome, composed of an octamer of histones. The large numbers of histone modifications, chromatin remodellers and transcription factors that interact with our genome all point to multiple elements acting in combinations. The EU-funded SM-Epigen project recently demonstrated proof of principle for a single-molecule system to map combinatorial chromatin modifications. The method identifies directly unique combinations of epigenetic markers and reveals regulatory modules at single-molecule resolution. The project will establish robust high-throughput systems for investigating combinatorial chromatin and transcription factors interactions, including epigenetic regulation during early development. The new technology will help reveal the tissue of origin of cell-free DNA circulating as nucleosomes in the blood, and apply it to develop novel strategies for early detection of cancer and other diseases.
Objective
Genes and genomic elements are packaged by chromatin structures that regulate their activity. The fundamental unit of chromatin is the nucleosome, composed of an octamer of histones. The large numbers of histone modifications, chromatin remodelers and transcription factors (TFs) that interact with our genome has fuelled speculation that multiple elements act combinatorially to direct specific outcomes. However, the field lacks technologies for detection and analysis of such combinations, thus impeding our ability to test this hypothesis and shed light on human genome regulation.
Our recent proof-of-principle for a single-molecule system for mapping combinatorial chromatin modifications holds the technological solution. This powerful method can identify directly unique combinations of epigenetic marks and reveal regulatory modules that can only be ascertained by single-molecule studies.
The proposed project will scale-up and advance our technology to establish robust high-throughput systems for investigating combinatorial chromatin and TF interactions and identify their genomic locations, thus bridging the gap between single-molecule proteomics and genomics. We will apply it to address basic questions in epigenetic regulation during early development, and define the network of interactions between histone marks, DNA methylation and the core TFs in stem cells and differentiated cells. We will also harness our technology to reveal the tissue-of-origin of cell-free DNA circulating in our blood in the form of nucleosomes, and apply it to devise novel strategies for early detection of cancer and other diseases.
Successful implementation and dissemination of these novel systems will yield a transformative new technology for functional genomics that will unravel the chromatin language during early development. This work will open new research directions at the interface of genomics and proteomics, and pave the way for the development of therapeutic and diagnostic tools.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies stem cells
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2018-STG
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7610001 Rehovot
Israel
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