Between the Genes: The Genomics of Gene Regulation

Vast tracts of non-coding genomic DNA separate the tiny portions of the human genome that code for our genes. Scattered throughout this non-coding DNA are enhancers — short DNA sequences that control when, where, and to what extent the genes are transcribed. Enhancers orchestrate the intricate patterns of gene expression that direct normal development and physiology in all organisms. The importance of enhancers is underscored by the fact that the majority of disease-causing variants in the human genome reside not in but between the genes, where they disrupt normal gene expression, in part by interfering with the function of enhancers.

Because of their importance in development and disease, we are trying to understand the DNA sequence features that control the activity and specificity of enhancers and other cis-regulatory elements. We take a multidisciplinary approach to this problem, employing both experimental and computational approaches borrowed from genetics, genomics, systems biology, synthetic biology, biophysics, computer science, and statistical physics. Ultimately, we hope to produce quantitative models that accurately identify new regulatory sequences in the genome and predict the consequences of mutations in these elements. Such models will be critical tools for understanding normal development, as well as diseases caused by non-coding mutations.

Positions

The Cohen Lab is currently seeking motivated postdocs. Interested applicants should contact Barak with a cover letter and CV.