Regulation of gene expression is of paramount importance in multicellular organisms, with improper regulation resulting in congenital defects and disease states in adults. Led by NC State Professors Greg Reeves in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Trudy McKay in the Department of Biological Sciences, the goal of this initiative is to further understand of how gene expression decisions are regulated on a system-wide level in order to guide the development of comprehensive, personal disease treatments — both in adults and in the womb. Two core aims of this project include (1) measuring the effect of newly discovered DNA regulatory elements and (2) measuring the transcriptome-wide gene expression differences. By investigating these aspects of gene regulation, the PIs will be able to better understand the subtle consequences of natural variation among a population, and in order to better guide personalized treatments for relevant diseases.
