Epigenomics: short term adaptation with long term consequences (Epigenomics)

Epigenetics is essential to cellular differentiation, but also allows organisms to better adapt to their environment. This flexibility is however abused in diseases such as cancer, and also leaves an evolutionary signature in our DNA with potentially farreaching consequences. In this BOF-ZAP, genome-wide studies are being performed into epigenetics ("epigenomics"), but also on its impact on gene expression ("transcriptomics"), to chart both the advantages and disadvantages of epigenetics. If necessary, this entail the development of novel data-analytical methods.