Research Expertise and Interest

plant epigenetics, cell identity

Research Description

The Williams lab is interested in answering fundamental questions about plant epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of heritable information that is not contained within the DNA sequence of the genome. One example of this is DNA methylation - a reversible chemical modification to DNA that can be added or removed by specialized enzymes. The questions we are interested in include:

• How do the enzymes that add and remove DNA methylation find which sequences to act upon with precision?

• How do DNA methylation patterns get accurately inherited over many generations?

• How do cells recognize new sequences and establish the correct epigenetic state?

• How do these mechanisms function during the development of tissues and organs?

To learn more about ongoing projects in the Williams lab, visit the lab website!