Scientific Programs

GENE-SWitCH aims to deliver new underpinning knowledge on the functional genomes of two main monogastric farm species (pig and chicken) and to enable immediate translation to the pig and poultry sectors. The activation status of functional genome sequences varies across time and space, and in response to environmental perturbations. In full coordination and synergy with global effort and ongoing projects of the Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes (FAANG) community, we will characterize the dynamics (“switches”) of the functional genome from embryo (chicken) and fetus (pig) to adult life by targeting a panel of tissues relevant to sustainable production.

For more information, www.gene-switch.eu

BovReg brings together scientists from the EU, Switzerland, international organizations, Canada and Australia, aiming to improve our understanding of the genetics of cattle, focusing on particular functions in the cow genome that correspond to the diversity and adaptability of the physical characteristics (phenotypes) among different breeds of cattle. Twenty leading laboratories from all over the world joined forces for this four-year project, with researchers from various disciplines, to form a global interdisciplinary team, which is coordinated by the Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) at Dummerstorf in Germany.

For more information, www.bovreg.eu

Blueprint (for A BLUEPRINT of Hematopoietic Epigenomes) is a very ambitious and large-scale integrating project reuniting 41 partners, 52 PIs, representing 43 academic groups and 9 companies (mostly SMEs) from 12 countries over a 4-year period. Funded by the seventh Framework programme, the Blueprint consortium aims at generating 100 reference epigenomes of hematopoietic cells from healthy individuals and from leukaemic counterparts. This will ultimately leads to the discovery and validation of epigenetic markers for diagnostic use, as well as to the dissemination of a comprehensive set of epigenetic marks to the scientific community. In a collaborative effort requiring high quality standards, all partners are committed to use their state-of-the-art technologies to provide reference epigenomes and develop experimental and computational methods to improve epigenome detection , data analysis, storage and retrieval.

For more information, www.blueprint-epigenome.eu

IBD Character, A European Consortium to boost our understanding of Inflammatory Bowel Disease The Inflammatory Bowel Disease CHARACTERization by a multi-modal integrated biomarker study (IBD-Character) Consortium is a collaborative effort to advance our understanding of the inflammatory bowel diseases Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease and to increase diagnostic precision in detection of the diseases in their early manifestation. The consortium associates 10 European partners from both academia and industry. It was started with a € 6M grant thanks to the European Commission's 7th Framework Program (FP7). The project will generate the largest collection of samples so far assembled from treatment naïve patients recently diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. DNA methylation and RNA transcription status, protein markers, gut microbial content, patient genotype for known susceptibility loci and classical clinical data will be extensively analyzed for the characterization of the cohort in order to create a molecular snapshot of IBD in its early manifestation. This massive molecular profiling will be used to yield a list of biomarkers indicative for onset of the disease.

For more information, www.ibdcharacter.eu

Chromatin3D, Chromatin Dynamics in Development and Disease Most, if not all, DNA-dependent transactions must function within the context of chromatin. To do so, chromatin fibres must reversibly alternate between compact and relaxed structural states. The latter ensures that the underlying DNA sequences are properly exposed to protein complexes involved in transcription and replication, recombination or repair. Defects in DNA-templated processes are thought to be causal to a number of detrimental pathologies, including cancer. The Chromatin3D H2020 European Training Network focuses on a series of relatively short-term objectives that are achievable within the time course of the Network project. These objectives are centred to fifteen early stage researchers and are grouped into three broad thematic areas: The epigenetic regulation of developmental processes in the context of chromatin; The deregulated chromatin dynamics and the cause of disease; The development of novel approaches for the study of chromatin dynamics.

Epitrain, Training in Epigenetics of Common Disease The scope of EpiTrain European FP7 Innovative Training Network is to develop a broad scale understanding of epigenetic processes in common disease. The goal of the proposed network is to provide open training facilities for the next generation of researchers in the field of medical epigenetic research across a wide spectrum of research and develop synergies between the different research disciplines. The proposed network will also develop an open-access data management strategy to enable data storage and dissemination. The EpiTrain training program will increase the international competitiveness of European research in Epigenetics. We will integrate epidemiological, genetic and molecular techniques to study the molecular consequences of the gene-environment interactions on a large scale across a range of common diseases.

For more information, www.epitrain.eu

The mission of EpiTRAITS is to train young researchers in epigenetic gene regulation and flowering in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and the crop plants maize (Zea mays) and barley (Hordeum vulgare). Epigenetic gene regulation confers stability of gene expression patterns through cell divisions while allowing changes in expression in response to environmental or developmental cues. Although changes in epigenetic gene regulation are a major cause for trait variation, no rational strategies have been developed that utilize this knowledge for crop breeding purposes. The EpiTRAITS European FP7 Innovative Training Network will focus on one of the key plant traits, flowering, which is controlled by various epigenetic mechanisms. The scientific program aims to bridge the gap between fundamental and applied research by translating results from epigenetic research in model organisms to improved technologies for crop breeding and molecular diagnostic tools.

For more information, www.epitraits.eu

The NR-NET European FP7 Innovative Training Network is a multidisciplinary consortium, whose activities are directed towards the understanding of the role of Nuclear Receptors (NRs) and coregulators in metaflammatory disease. Metaflammation - metabolic disorders linked to chronic inflammation – is an emerging concept explaining the pathogenesis of a wide-spectrum of diseases. Since several nuclear receptors can directly sense metabolic alterations, they could be considered as important endogenous modulators of metaflammatory pathways further expanding the repertoire of diseases that can be intervened by NR-modulating drugs. The composition of the network is designed to contain a balanced mix of labs with experience and skills in academic and industry based research, so that it can provide young researchers the opportunity to acquire skills and expertise.

For more information, www.nr-net.gr