Organisers

Riitta Lahesmaa: University of Turku, Finland
Terhi Jokilehto: University of Turku, Finland
Riikka Lund: University of Turku, Finland
Heli Salminen-Mankonen: University of Turku, Finland

Introduction

The purpose of this meeting is to bring together experts and research scientists in the field of Functional Genomics. The talks by the selected speakers will provide insights into strategies how genome-wide technology platforms have been applied in approaches aiming at understanding gene regulatory networks and epigenetic regulation in cellular responses. The topics will cover regulation of transcription, alternative splicing, epigenetic status of the stem cells, lineage committed cells and the cells of immune system. The topics will include examples how these mechanisms link to human diseases, such as immune mediated diseases and cancer.

Since sequencing of the human genome, the next goal has been to elucidate how genetic information is regulated. Activity of tissue specific gene patterns is regulated at several stages. First, the accessibility of the genomic control elements to regulatory proteins is determined by epigenetic status of the chromatin. The chromatin is wrapped around histone proteins enabling regulation of the accessibility and packing of the DNA in dynamic fashion. Through post-translational modifications, such as acetylation or methylation of the histone proteins, the chromatin can be in tightly packed into inactive heterochromatin or active euchromatin accessible to regulatory factors. The second level of regulation is mediated through methylation of cytosine residues of the DNA mainly at the CpG sites.

Insights into these processes will be provided by several high profile speakers. Of the invited speakers Dr. David Hawkins (Turku Centre for Biotechnology, Finland) and Professor Joseph Ecker's (The Salk Institute for Biomedical Studies, USA) will give an update into the high-throughput characterisation of the epigenomic status of human embryonic stem cells (hESC), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and lineage committed cells. Professor Alexander Meissner's (Harvard Stem Cell Institute, USA) group has focused in developing high-throughput bisulfite sequencing (HTBS) technologies for methylation analysis of human and mouse ESCs and iPSCs. Professor John Rinn's (The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, USA) group utilises high-throughput genome wide technologies for studying the role of long non-coding RNAs in adult and embryonic cells and their misregulation in cancer. His group has made recent advances in understanding how these large noncoding RNAs have a key function in establishing the epigenetic states.

At the active state chromatin is accessible to factors that can either promote or repress gene expression through binding to regulatory elements in the DNA. Through initiation of transcription from alternative promoters or alternative splicing of mRNAs, several different protein isoforms can be produced from a single gene. Translation of the mRNAs to functional proteins can be prevented by microRNAs. After translation the activity, properties and complex formation of protein products can be further regulated through different post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, acetylation, sumoylation, ubiquitination or biotinylation.

Insights into these processes will be provided by Professor Anjana Rao (LA Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology, Harvard, USA) whose group is studying how transcription factors and nuclear proteins regulate immune responses. Her group is also developing methods for selective inhibition of these responses. Furthermore, Professor Rao's group has carried out pioneering work in understanding regulation of DNA methylation in particular in mouse ESCs, cancer cells and lymphocytes.

Professor Claes Wadelius (Uppsala University, Sweden) has carried out genome scale studies to study protein-DNA interactions, epigenetic regulation in association with alternative splicing, and has characterised epigenetic status of cancer cells and association of these changes to copy number variation.

Professor Ihor Lemischka (The Mount Sinai Medical Center, USA) has carried out pioneering work in the field of stem cell biology in obtaining systemic view of the epigenomic, transcriptomic and proteomic regulation of stem cell fate, manipulation of gene regulation through RNAi and also in establishing patient specific iPSCs. Dr. Johan Ericsson (Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research) has focused on studying post-translational regulation and targeting of proteins that drive lipid and cholesterol metabolism and their association to diseases. Professor Cisca Wijmenga (University of Groningen) will provide insights into the genetic factors associated in certain hereditary diseases, such as celiac diseases.

Bioinformatics and computer science is a crucial part of the Functional Genomics and Systems Biology level research. Of the invited speakers in this field Professor Harri Lähdesmäki (Turku Centre for Biotechnology, Aalto University, Finland) is an expert in development of computational techniques to model and understand molecular regulatory mechanisms and effects of mutations in health and disease. Professor Nikolaus Rajewsky's (Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Germany) group is carrying out Systems Biology studies to understand gene regulation with special emphasis on small RNAs.

Venue

The meeting is hosted by the Turku Centre for Biotechnology, in particular by The Finnish Microarray and Sequencing Centre (FMSC), which is an internationally recognised Functional Genomics Core Facility. The meeting is co-hosted by the Systems Biology Research Program. The researchers of the program aim for a system-level understanding of specific biological processes to better comprehend cell signalling and metabolism, and to define the molecular basis of specific biological processes and diseases.

The venue is Mauno Koivisto Conference Centre, Biocity Turku, in Turku Finland. Turku is the oldest city of Finland and on the south west coast of Finland. There is an archipelago with 100 000 islands in between Turku and Stockholm.

Invited Speakers

See here for a list of speakers.

Programme

See here for the conference programme.

Registration

Registration is available here.