Gene Expression, Genomes, and Disease
March 15-26 2010 (2 week course)
Organizers: Prof. Dr. H.T.M. Timmers and Prof. Dr. F.C.P. Holstege, Physiological
Chemistry Dept., UMC Utrecht
Venue:
to be announced
Registration:
Please register online on the cgdb website: www.cgbd.nl (courses).
CGDB students have priority in registration until 3 weeks before the start of the
course. Maximum participation (Master + PhD students) is 25, so please register in
time.
Description of content : Transcription regulation is pivotal for the understanding of
developmental programs, cellular homeostasis and disease states like cancer. In the
last few years it has become clear that the transcription process is critically linked to
regulation of chromatin dynamics. Epigenetic mechanisms like histone modification
can transmit the active or inactive state of a gene through cellular divisions. The
study of transcription and chromatin regulation has received a great impetus by the
availability of whole genome sequences, which sparked the development of DNA
microarray and high-throughput sequencing technologies. The integration of
molecular biology, genomic, proteomics and cell biology approaches can now
provide unprecedented insight in the role of transcription and chromatin regulation
in health and disease.
This course will teach the crucial concepts of gene regulation, epigenetics, chromatin
and genome organization. The focus will be on the state-of-the-art concepts,
strategies and techniques in the field of gene regulation and genome research with a
strong reference to human diseases. The covered topics are: gene/genome
organization, chromatin regulation and dynamics, transcription factor complexes,
high-throughput genomic technologies, genome localizations, miRNA regulation.
Part of the course will be presentations by leading (international) scientists in the
transcription and chromatin fields. The course consists of a combination of lectures,
literature, discussions and student presentations and will be closed by a written
exam.
Topics covered:
Epigenetic mechanisms
Histone modification
DNA methylation
Chromatin remodelling
ChIP-on-chip and ChIP-sequencing
mRNA profiling by microarrays
Gene-specific and basal transcription factors