Nuclear dynamics and repetitive DNA in tissue homeostasis
Institut for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC)

Research questions: 

We aim to better understand the regulation and functions of repetitive DNA sequences in somatic cell-types, including adult stem cells. Our current work focuses on somatically active endogenous retrotransposons. We are also investigating the dynamics of nuclear (sub)structure in vivo in normal tissue homeostasis, response to stress and during aging.

Research organisms: Drosophila melanogaster

Experimental & Bioinformatic expertise: 

Stem cell biology (lineage tracing etc); immunofluorescence; enhancer assays; response to bacterial infections; longevity assays; short- and long-read DNA/RNA-seq; RT-qPCR; ddPCR; DamID