The Ghavi-Helm Laboratory

In eukaryotes, the complex regulation of temporal- and tissue-specific gene expression is controlled by the binding of transcription factors to enhancers, which in turn interact with the promoter of their target gene(s) via the formation of a chromatin loop. Despite their importance, the properties governing enhancer function and enhancer-promoter loops in the context of the three-dimensional organization of the genome are still poorly understood.

In this context, our group applies an interdisciplinary approach, combining genetics, genomics, and computational biology, including novel single-cell techniques, using Drosophila embryogenesis as a model system. We aim at establishing a unique view of the functionality of enhancer-promoter interactions in a developing embryo, a significant step towards understanding the link between chromatin organization and transcription regulation.

09/2021: Many new(ish) comers this fall! Margarita and Baptiste are back as PhD student after doing their M2 internship in the lab. Deevitha is joining us "in situ" for her M2 internship after doing her M1 internship from home in India. Welcome back! :)

05/2021: Baptiste obtained a IADoc@UdL PhD fellowship to stay in our team as a graduate student in the fall. Congrats!!!

03/2021: We welcome Damien, our new lab manager!

02/2021: We welcome Margarita and Baptiste, our new Master2 students!

01/2021: We are recruiting a technical assistant / lab manager. More info here.

12/2020: The EquipEx+ "Spatial-Cell-ID" project, to buy equipement and develop spatial transcriptomics projects has been funded!

12/2018: We obtained a "Projet Emergent" grant from the ENS for a collaborative project with Cédric Vaillant

08/2018: We are hiring a postdoctoral fellow. More info.

09/2017  The lab is now funded by the ERC Starting grant!

07/2017   The lab is now funded by the ATIP-Avenir program!

12/2016   We are hiring! Come join this new adventure :)  More info.