Miguel De Lucas

• Associate Professor in Biosciences, Durham University

During my scientific career I have come to realize that the mutual regulation between DNA-binding transcription factors and chromatin organization is key to providing an optimal expression level under different circumstances.

I did my PhD in the National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC) in Madrid under Prof. Salomé Prat's supervision. My dissertation work identified the molecular mechanisms required for intrinsic signals to modulate plant adaptation to the environment (de Lucas Miguel et al. 2008; Bernardo García et al. 2014). At the end of my thesis it was obvious that transcription was tightly controlled at multiple levels, including chromatin organization. To address this question, I obtained both EMBO and HFSP fellowships to perform the investigation at Dr. Siobhan Brady's lab, UC Davis (USA). My postdoctoral work aimed to integrate these different mechanisms of regulation by studying first the role of gene regulatory networks (GRN) in shaping development (Taylor-Teeples et al. 2015) and subsequently, how chromatin remodelling, within the context of a GRN affects cell type-specific patterns of gene expression to regulate developmental decisions, such as cell proliferation and differentiation(de Lucas et. al. under review). While the analyses identified signalling and transcriptional changes, the fundamental question of how chromatin-remodelling enzymes act co-ordinately to regulate cellular decisions remains unclear.

With the use of next generation sequencing, bioinformatics and advanced cell biology approaches, the lab aims to address how chromatin is dynamicaly regulated by environmental and intrinsic signals to control cellular decisions and development.

Research interests
Plant Development
Chromatin remodeling
Cell Differentiation
Light Signaling

• –present Associate Professor in Biosciences, Durham University

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