P: 778-782-3701

Office: SCB9684

email:  eemberly_at_sfu_dot_ca

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Every cell in an organism contains the same genome - the set of all genes that are written in the DNA. Despite this fact that cells all share the same list of genes, there is a huge variety of cell types. This arises in part because different cells use differing sets of genes.   What allows a cell to turn on only a certain set of its genes? Many genes are controlled by specific programs encoded in the DNA that turn them on or off in response to particular spacial and/or temporal cues.  The structure of the DNA also influences how genes are regulated. In higher organisms the genome is meticulously packaged into a structure called chromatin. In collaboration with several experimental groups we are analyzing factors that regulate chromatin structure, and developing models for how the structure of DNA influences gene expression.