Division of Epigenomics and Development

Our laboratory studies the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation of the mammalian genome and its role in human health. Epigenetics may be an unfamiliar word, but it describes the mechanisms regulating gene expression patterns during development without affecting the DNA sequence. Differentiated cells need to maintain their gene expression patterns through DNA replication and cell division, and this is also achieved by the epigenetic mechanisms. The molecular basis of epigenetics is chemical modifications of chromatin, and the entire modification state of a specific cell is called the epigenome. Epigenetics is an important theme in the post-genomic era and is a key to elucidate various biological phenomena and human diseases.

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