Laboratory of Epigenetics and Genomic Integrity

Dr. Tyler’s laboratory focuses on discovering the mechanistic basis of the epigenetic regulation of aging, genomic integrity and gene expression. Our studies use a combination of molecular genetics in budding yeast, tissue culture studies, biochemistry and next generation sequencing approaches. The proteins and processes that we study are so fundamentally conserved through eukaryotic evolution, that we can take advantage of the strengths of the highly genetically malleable yeast system to guide our studies in human cells. In addition to learning how chromatin regulates fundamental processes in the cell, our studies are helping us to understand how defects in the chromatin structure lead to gene dysfunction and genomic instability, in turn causing aging and disease states including cancer.

Active Projects

• Role of chromatin structure in maintaining genomic stability
• Attaining longevity via chromatin dynamics
• Discovering the mechanism of chromatin assembly