Using single Molecule Approaches to Understand DNA Methylation Maintenance
Supervisor: Dr Duncan Sproul
The failure to maintain developmentally established patterns of the epigenetic mark DNA methylation is a hallmark of cancer and aging. Our current understanding of the impact this failure is hindered by our lack of knowledge regarding the fundamental molecular mechanisms underpinning DNA methylation maintenance. We have developed single-molecule methods to measure DNA methylation patterns and techniques to introduce synthetic epi-alleles into cells. Together, these allow us to quantitatively track the evolution of DNA methylation patterns over time. This PhD project seeks to use these approaches to dissect why DNA methylation patterns are not maintained in cancer and aging.