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Past Event
Spring examinations end
University Academic Calendar
All Day
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Spring examinations end
Time
Saturday, June 15, 2019
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University Academic Calendar
March 2024 Monthly Seminar on Physical Genomics - Pietro Berico, New York University
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
12:00 PM
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3D Chromatin Rewiring During Melanoma Phenotypic Transition
Melanoma intra-tumor heterogeneity is thought to be the root cause of cancer progression and therapy resistance. Melanoma cells can transiently “switch” between different transcriptional states or phenotypes as an adaptive response to microenvironmental cues. Genetic studies in patient cohorts, cell lines and melanoma mouse models have failed to identify drivers of phenotype transition, suggesting that epigenetic deregulation may be primarily responsible for those switches. The melanoma lineage-specific transcription factor MITF plays a key role, with high MITF activity associated with a proliferative melanocytic-like phenotype, while low activity leads to a more invasive mesenchymal-like phenotype. However, MITF silencing or ectopic expression alone are insufficient to trigger a complete phenotype transition, suggesting that other epigenetic factors are required. Chromatin is folded in the nucleus in three dimensional hierarchical structures that increase or decrease enhancer-promoter contact loops to regulate gene expression in a space and time fashion. Alterations in 3D chromatin architecture can contribute to cancer. Still, the molecular factors governing global nuclear topology and its contribution to melanoma phenotypic plasticity are completely unknown. Using “all-vs-all” chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C), we profiled the global 3D chromatin architecture of a large panel of melanoma cell lines representative of distinct phenotypic states and at different time points post-MITF silencing. Analyzing different levels of hierarchical chromatin structures, we observed that MITF alone is unable to modulate topological associated domains (TADs) and major hierarchical structures. On the contrary, we observed a dramatic increase in cis-long contact loops and a decrease of TADs in mesenchymal-like melanoma cells relative to melanocytic, suggesting mesenchymal-like cells may bear a more “flexible” chromatin. In line with this evidence, we are currently testing whether, together with MITF loss, adding mechanical pressure to the nuclei and/or microenvironmental stiffness is required to fully refold the chromatin and allow phenotypic transition. By combining epigenetic and mechanical perturbations on melanoma cells, we aim to demonstrate the novel role of chromatin architecture in driving phenotypic state transitions.
About Pietro Berico, PhD
Dr. Berico is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Prof. Eva Hernando-Monge’s lab at NYU. His studies aim to understand how different levels of gene expression regulation, including 3D chromatin organization, transcription factor activity, and epigenetic modulation of non-coding RNAs can drive melanoma phenotypic plasticity underpinning tumor initiation and progression.
Time
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
2024 Symposium on Physical Genomics
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
9:00 AM
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Simpson-Querrey Auditorium, Robert H Lurie Medical Research Center
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The 2024 Symposium on Physical Genomics: Engineering Living Systems at the Convergence of Biological, Physical and Computational Sciences
9:00am to 5:00pm, Friday, April 26, 2024
Simpson-Querrey Auditorium, 303 E. Superior, Chicago, IL
Featuring talks by:
Keynote Lecture: Masashi Narita, Cancer Research UK
Gene Regulation in Cellular Senescence
Karmella Haynes, Emory University
Investigating Gene Activation Dynamics Within Human Polycomb Chromatin with Synthetic Reader-Effectors
Fang Huang, Purdue University
Ultra-High Resolution Imaging Through Deep Tissues and a New Information-Based Theoretical Resolution Limit
Melike Lakadamyali, University of Pennsylvania
Super-Resolution Imaging of Chromatin Structure and Dynamics in Health and Disease
Andrew Spakowitz, Stanford University
Physical Modeling of Nucleosome Clustering in Euchromatin Resulting From Interactions Between Epigenetic Reader Proteins
Allison Squires, University of Chicago
Title TBD
Coffee/tea beginning at 9:00am
There will be a lunchtime open submission poster session; to participate, email abstracts to b-keane@northwestern.edu
Time
Friday, April 26, 2024 at 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location
Simpson-Querrey Auditorium, Robert H Lurie Medical Research Center Map
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Calendar
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
9:00 AM
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Welsh-Ryan Arena
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McCormick School of Engineering PhD Hooding and Master’s Degree Recognition Ceremony
Time
Monday, June 10, 2024 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location
Welsh-Ryan Arena
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McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Northwestern Engineering Undergraduate Convocation
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
2:00 PM
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Welsh-Ryan Arena
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McCormick School of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation
Time
Monday, June 10, 2024 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location
Welsh-Ryan Arena
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McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science