About Me
Julia Zeitlinger, PhD, is interested in uncovering the rules that govern gene regulation - the process by which a cell determines which genes to turn on and off and when. Every cell in the human body holds a complete copy of that individual's DNA, but not all of the tens of thousands of genes contained therein are expressed in any given cell. Furthermore, cells have different needs and functions at different times in their lives, requiring particular genes to be activated or repressed. She uses the fruit fly to explore two main modes of gene regulation: regulation dictated by DNA sequence, and regulation based on chromatin state. To understand how DNA sequence is linked to regulatory activity, Zeitlinger's group studies the evolution, composition and developmental function of cis-regulatory elements, sections of DNA that regulate the expression of nearby genes. These findings ultimately may be applicable to humans and will further understanding of not only how genes are normally regulated, but also how regulatory mechanisms are hijacked in disease.