François Spitz


The genome in 3D: Function and regulation of long-distance relationships in development and disease

Abstract. In the nucleus, the genome is folded in complex patterns that are tightly related to its different functions and activities. This spatial organisation is particularly relevant to gene expression, which is in part regulated by cis-acting elements located on the genome hundreds of kilobases away from the gene they regulate. Using in vivo genetic approaches, chromatin conformation capture analyses and polymer modelling, we have started to dissect the different mechanisms that organize the genome in 3D and assess their influence on gene activity.


Short Bio. 1997: PhD in Molecular and Cellular Genetics – Paris VI
1998-2006: postdoctoral fellow – University of Geneva
2006-2016: Group Leader – European Molecular Biology Laboratory – Heidelberg
2016-: Director of the “(Epi)Genomics of Animal Development” research unit – Institut Pasteur – Paris