The Greer lab is broadly interested in the molecular mechanisms of epigenetics. We feel that the most exciting scientific discoveries occur at the interface of multiple fields and therefore strive to tackle long-standing fundamental questions from new angles. We address questions using a combination of genetic/genomic, molecular, cellular, and biochemical approaches in a variety of model organisms including D. discodieum, C. elegans, M. musculus, and human cell lines. This philosophy has brought our lab into many exciting fields including, longevity, DNA damage and repair, virology, ribosome heterogeneity, epitranscritomics, and the evolution of multicellular organisms.
In its strictest definition, epigenetics encompasses the study of heritable non-genetic information, In this strict sense of the term, we study transgenerational epigenetic inheritance – non-genetic information being transmitted from ancestors to their descendants for multiple generations to regulate complex biological phenomena. In more recent years, the field of epigenetics has expanded to include the study of how epigenetic information, such as modifications to chromatin and DNA, regulate a variety of cellular processes. A portion of the lab is focused on identifying new epigenetic modifications and the enzymes that add, remove, and recognize these modifications. We examine how these enzymes and modifications regulate biological processes such as the viral response, meiosis, stress resistance, and aging.
Finally a portion of the lab is repurposing the slime mold Dictyostelium discodieum as a new model organism to examine the role of epigenetics in the evolution of multicellularity. In the sections below, we will briefly describe some of our forays into each of these layers of epigenetic regulation.
The Greer lab has a long-standing interest in deciphering the molecular mechanisms of epigenetics. We are interested in how non-genetic information regulates complex phenotypes from longevity to energy metabolism and how when epigenetic regulation goes awry diseases can develop. However, our understanding of how this epigenetic information can regulate these complex phenotypes is still incompletely understood.
The Greer lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of epigenetics. The lab focuses on:
- Identifying what heritable non-genetic cues are inherited across generations.
- Examining the role of chromatin and epitranscriptomic modifications in regulating cellular processes.
- Identifying and characterizing new epigenetic modifications and the enzymes that add, remove, and recognize these modifications and what their role is in regulating a variety of biological processes.
- Examining the role of epigenetics in the evolution of multicellularity.
