Kelly Barnett
Morehead State University
Emily Hodges lab
During cell fate specification cells undergo intricate epigenetic dynamics across cis-regulatory elements which direct gene expression. My project focuses on characterizing these cell fate epigenetic dynamics, specifically focusing on the relationship between chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation and enhancer activation. This has involved the development and implementation of high-throughput sequencing technologies as well as using catalytically dead Cas9 nuclease fusion proteins for more targeted studies. These projects will help us better define the earliest epigenetic events important to enhancer activation and cell fate specification.