PhD Thesis
Combine and Conquer
Auxin Reponse Factor Multimers Anchoring Nucleotides
It is common knowledge that DNA stores information about an organism. But how is this information actually brought to expression? To do anything useful with DNA, cells must be able to interpret/decode what it is saying. However, this information is not static, but highly context-dependent! Every cell in your body carries the same DNA, but they into organs and tissues with distinct functions that respond to environment. For example, your skin should make more pigment if the sun is bright. To do this, cells must be able to regulate gene expression. How do cells regulate gene expression? That is the central question of our field of research.
Not only does the cell need to understand what the DNA is ‘saying’, it also needs to know when and how to use this information.