Decrypting chromatin states: DNA barcoding technologies to study chromatin interactions

Abstract

Eukaryotic cells contain long DNA molecules which provide all the information for proper functioning of the cell. The packaging of DNA into chromatin is tightly regulated to ensure proper execution of important cellular processes such as gene transcription, DNA replication and DNA repair. Local ‘chromatin states’ are determined by the interplay of many different proteins. Therefore, to fully understand how local chromatin states are established, it is crucial to elucidate the complex network of chromatin-binding proteins. The research described in this thesis was aimed to further understand the function of chromatin-altering proteins. This was done by using existing epigenomic approaches as well as developing new technologies