It is a wonder how a single cell gives rise to a complex multi-cellular organism. The genome, regulatory elements and epigenetic modifications function together in complex processes to determine the cellular fate and develop into an organism. Deciphering these complex pathways during embryonic development has always been a challenge. While enhancers actively open the chromatin to activate genes, repressors actively close the chromatin, which dictates the proper turning off of genes to avoid faulty expression. Similar to enhancers, repressors are crucial for gene regulation as well. My research focuses on understating how the enhancers and repressors orchestrate the gene regulatory network together in early embryonic development.
