I started my lab at IMBB in September 2021 with research objectives in RNA biology and gene regulation.
A specific aim of our research is to understand the distinctive modes of co-transcriptional processing of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), especially the ones transcribed from enhancers and the anchor points of chromosomal loops, and mechanistically dissect their functions in regulation of gene expression in cis. To this end, we aim at characterizing the differential RNA-binding protein interactions formed specifically by lncRNAs, and how these are altered during cell differentiation and in response to stimuli in mammalian cells.
Furthermore, our research aims at uncovering novel roles of RNA modifications in shaping gene expression outcome, by characterizing the crosstalk with basal mechanisms of transcription regulation. To address these questions, we combine high-throughput transcriptomics methods, bioinformatics analyses of big data and computational modeling with biochemical and molecular biology approaches.