Dr Sari Pennings
Senior Lecturer
Research
Our research is focused on nuclear chromatin control of gene expression in mammalian and vertebrate embryos, stem cells, reprogrammed cells and yeast-based models. We investigate the dynamics of epigenetic DNA methylation and histone modifications essential for early development, differentiation and chromatin-mediated gene regulation. In addition, we study epigenetic mechanisms in tissue specification, including cardiovascular development and reprogramming. Our research interests include cell fate reprogramming, chromatin remodelling, and chromatin-based gene repression mechanisms. We have discovered that heterochromatin matures late in development but is induced early in mouse embryonic stem cells; and that epigenetic marks can rapidly adapt to cell culture.