神马福利影片

Abstract: The goal of my program of research is to define how dynamic and transient interactions involving chromatin modifying enzymes establish stable and heritable epigenetic states. My research tackles this enigma using a unique permutation of genetic, biochemical, and biophysical approaches that bridges our understanding of epigenetic phenomena across different biological timescales. Using fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) as a model, my research has advanced our understanding of how silent chromatin states characterized by histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) are established, maintained, and remodeled on-demand during adaptation.In this talk, I will highlight the tension between positive feedback loops that propagate epigenetic states and the sources of noise that opposes this process. By integrating experiments and theory, my talk will demonstrate how simple considerations of biophysical and biochemical principles can give us a comprehensive understanding of complex cellular processes.

Biography: Kaushik Ragunathan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Brandeis University, where his lab studies how epigenetic states are established, maintained, and inherited across generations, using fission yeast as a model. Prior to this, he was a faculty member in the Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan. His interdisciplinary training stems from his time as a graduate student working on single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, before transitioning to a postdoc studying epigenetics in fission yeast. Kaushik has received an American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award and an NSF CAREER Award.