Helmholtz Zentrum München Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt

Project description

The Schneider group wants to unravel the mechanisms how epigenetic mechanisms control genome function by applying different biochemical and biophysical approaches as well as various developmental and cell biology systems.
 
Our group has a strong experience in deciphering the function of novel types and sites of histone modifications and their role in disease processes (see for examples: Tropberger et al., Cell 2013; di Cerbo et al., eLife 2014; Kebede et al., NSMB 2017). For the future we want to identify novel pathways (beyond the classical histone tail modifications) regulating genome function and in particular their deregulation in diseases such as cancer or diabetes. This will allow us to discover new therapy targets and unique diagnostic or prognostic markers.

For a novel project on the interphase between chromatin biochemistry, epitranscriptomics and epigenetics we are looking for a PhD student with previous lab experience in e.g. chromatin/transcription research. The PhD student will undertake a challenging project, the study of a new covalent modification, in an internationally renowned environment. The aims are to I) map the modification for the first time, II) to identify the modifying pathways (writers and erasers), III) to unravel the function of the modification and its link with the cellular environment as well as iv) the consequences of its deregulation (e.g. in metabolic diseases). 

This project will address a central question in epigenetics: what are the mechanism via which the cellular environment (e.g. the metabolic state of the cell) controls genome function and the transcriptome? You will be part of a very enthusiastic and international team, learn state of the art technologies (such as imaging techniques, different types of “omics” assays and their analysis, chromatin reconstitutions …) and will have the possibility to advance the fascinating fields of epigenetics and epitranscriptomics.

Related literature:

Tropberger P., et al. (2013), Regulation of transcription through acetylation of H3K122 on lateral surface of the histone octamer. Cell V. 152, 4, 859-872.   

Di Cerbo V., et al. (2014), Acetylation of histone H3 at lysine 64 regulates nucleosome dynamics and fascilitates transcription. eLife 3:e01632.

Kebede AF. et al. (2011), Histone propionylation is a mark of active chromatin. Nature Structural & molecular biology 24, 1048-1056.